cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracellular glucose reduces the responsiveness of mesangial cell ion channels to angiotensin II.

Abnormal cellular ion homeostasis is a well-recognized component of diabetic glomerular disease. In cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells, we have previously shown that insulin regulates Ca(2+)-dependent activation of 4-pS Cl- channels and 27-pS nonselective cation channels (NSCC) by angiotensin II (ANG II). To assess whether extracellular glucose also affects mesangial ion channels, we applied patch-clamp techniques to cells incubated in constant insulin (100 mU/ml) and either "normal" (5 mM) or "high" (30 mM) glucose for 1 wk. In normal glucose, 100 nM ANG II increased Cl- and NSCC activity by > 16-fold and > 60-fold, respectivley. Direct release of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) stores (0.25 microM thapsigargin) mimicked ANG II-induced channel stimulation. In high glucose, Cl- and NSCC stimulation by ANG II was attenuated (< 7-fold), whereas channel activation by thapsigargin was unaffected. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition (30-min exposure to 0.5 microM calphostin) or downregulation (24-h exposure to...
Treatment of Tail Gas From Production of Cyanuric Chloride

Production methods and processes of cyanuric chloride were introduced.The major components of exhaust gas were analysed,and the corresponding approach was put forward.Finally,the design of automatic control system for treatment of tail gas from production of cyanuric chloride was introduced.
Functional Characterization of Calcium-activated Phospholipid Scramblase Activity of nhTMEM16

Asymmetric lipid distribution between the two leaflets of bilayer is a physiologically important feature of biological membranes. Dissipation of lipid asymmetry by lipid scrambling is a ubiquitous cellular mechanism essential for membrane biogenesis, cell signaling, and bacterial cell wall assembly. The recently crystallized structure of a TMEM16 family member nhTMEM16 provided the first structural insight into the mechanism of lipid scramblases, which facilitate the passive bidirectional transport of diverse lipids between the two leaflets of the membrane. It identified a conserved Ca2+-binding site harbored in a hydrophilic crevice predicted to face the hydrophobic core of the membrane and involve in lipid scrambling, although no lipids were resolved in the structure. In order to investigate the Ca2+-mediated scrambling mechanism, identify the lipid transport pathway, and characterize the role of Ca2+, we have performed extended equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with nhTMEM16 embedded in various lipid bilayers (POPC, POPE, POPS, and mixtures thereof) in the presence or absence of Ca2+. Our simulations reveal a previously unidentified spiral membrane-traversing hydrophilic track around the protein surface, connecting the inner and outer leaflets. Especially in the Ca2+-bound systems, lipids from the inner and outer leaflets spontaneously bind to the hydrophilic track with their headgroups and propagate toward the center of the membrane. In the Ca2+-free systems, on the other hand, the hydrophilic track is observed to substantially narrow allowing only smaller species such as water and ions to bind. Furthermore, umbrella sampling (US) simulations are used to characterize the complete lipid transport pathway and to identify key residues and energetics of the lipid translocation. Our study provides crucial atomic details of the scrambling pathway for the first time, and uncovers the nature of Ca2+-dependence by revealing the structural rearrangements of the hydrophilic track for lipid translocation.
Cultural Factors in the Treatment of Psychosis

Culture has been defined as an integrated pattern of human behaviors including thoughts, communication, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of a racial, ethnic, religious, or social nature (Pumariega et al. 2013). Hughes (1993) further defined culture as a socially transmitted system of ideas that (1) shapes behavior, (2) categorizes perceptions, (3) names selected aspects of experience, (4) is widely shared by members of a particular society or social group, (5) is an orientating framework to coordinate and sanction behavior, and (6) conveys values across the generations. Most societies define normality and deviance in human behavior within the context of culture, including the acceptable range of affective expressiveness, idioms and threshold of distress, and expressed beliefs and actions.
Ingestive conditioning in Luidia clathrata (Say) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea): Effect of nutritional condition on selectivity, teloreception, and rates of ingestion

Luidia clathrata showed no initial preference (as evidenced by contact‐chemoreception and teloreception) between bivalve (Donax variabilis) and shrimp (Penaeus duorarum) foods. Individuals fed 0.5 g wet wt shrimp/day over a 21‐day period showed significant preferences for shrimp over bivalve food. Individuals fed 0.5 g wet wt bivalve/day over a 21‐day period showed no teloreceptive preferences, but significant contact‐chemoreceptive preference for bivalve over shrimp food. Individuals not fed for 21 days showed no preference for either food. Similar ingestive conditioning is exhibited among individuals which were starved for a 3‐month period prior to conditioning. However, nutritional condition may influence selectivity as starved individuals showed a preference for shrimp over bivalve food following the starvation period. Teloreceptive‐response times were significantly lower and ingestion rates significantly higher in starved individuals than in fed individuals. The effects of ingestive conditioning and ...
Development of an effective mentorship program for preclinical medical student global health research training: An evaluation of a pilot mentorship program

AbstractAs medical student interest in global health soars, so too does the desire by students to do research in international settings. However, very few medical students receive formal training in research skills. Mentorship is a key component of any research endeavour by students. The University of Texas Medical Branch focuses preclinical rotations on value-adding, mentored scholarly projects, developed with host site collaborators. The structure of this program allows preclinical students to engage meaningfully with international partners, who serve as research mentors. Mentorship is critical to successful development, implementation, and dissemination of scholarly projects. This paper describes a qualitative evaluation of a pilot mentorship program, which included semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with mentors and students who participated in the 2015 global health preclinical experience. Overall, mentors and students were satisfied with the mentorship experience. Challenges to mentoring were in...
The Battelle Route Guidance Simulator: a low-cost tool for studying driver response to advanced navigation systems

An important goal of in-vehicle advanced traveller information systems (ATIS) is to allow travellers to drive safely and efficiently by supplying real-time route guidance and traffic advisory information. Since the impact of in-vehicle ATIS on driver behavior is not yet fully understood, human factors research is required to fill this gap. While on-the-road field studies are important, simulators can also be used quite effectively to investigate the complex set of parameters that modulate driver choice and behavior. The Battelle Route Guidance Simulator is a low-cost tool that has been used successfully to study driver response to advanced vehicle navigation systems.
Effect of Vapor-Deposited Parylene Coating on Reliability of Sintered Silver Joints for Extreme Temperature Applications

Abstract Silver nano-particle (AgNP) sintering has been extensively shown to be an excellent bonding method for use in the assembly of high-temperature multi-chip modules (MCM) rated above 200° C. Among the proven advantages of using this material in the assembly are the high mechanical strength of the attachment joints, resilience to thermal cycles, low resistivity, and high thermal conductivity. One of the concerns related to the reliability of sintered silver joints is silver migration. Another concern is the change in the joint's microstructure under thermal stress. Vapor-deposited high-temperature fluorinated parylene coating (Paralyne HT) may have the potential to mitigate those concerns because of its superior conformal and crevice-penetration properties. In this work, impact of Parylene HT on sintered silver joints has been evaluated from the perspective of mechanical strength. Test vehicles were subjected to thermal cycling and high-temperature aging. To understand the sintered silver joint's fai...
OP28PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE PROSPECTIVE FEASIBILITY CNS GCT-4 CONSORTIUM TRIAL FOR PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY/RECURRENT CNS GERM CELL TUMORS (GCT)

INTRODUCTION: We present updated findings on the response rate, toxicity and early outcomes of a re-induction regimen of gemcitabine, oxaliplatin and paclitaxel (GemPOx) administered, in responsive patients, prior to myeloablative chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell rescue (HDCx + AuHCR). METHOD: Since December 2004, 14 recurrent or refractory patients (12 MMGCT, 2 germinoma; 12 males; mean age 16.5 years, range 7-34 years) have been treated with up to 4 cycles of gemcitabine (800mg/m2), oxaliplatin (100mg/m2) and paclitaxel (170 mg/m2), administered on one day at 14 days intervals. RESULTS: Of 14 patients, five were treated on a preceding feasibility pilot with 1-3 cycles of GemPOx, and nine have been formally enrolled on an ongoing prospective multi-center trial. Seven patients achieved complete remissions (tumor marker and/or imaging studies), five achieved partial remissions and two developed progressive disease (PD) while on GemPOx. Twelve of the 14 patents subsequently underwent HDCx + AuHCR; 6 subsequently received irradiation. Transient hepatotoxicity and pancytopenia were the most prevalent toxicities. Five patients continue alive and disease-free for 9 + , 20 + , 22 + , 26+ and 28+ months since end of therapy. CONCLUSION: GemPOx appears to be an effective re-induction regimen for patients with recurrent CNS MMGCT, with acceptable toxicities. The ongoing multi-center, international trial should confirm this and demonstrate the contribution of GemPOx towards improved survival when followed by HDCx + AuHCR with or without further irradiation, in the setting of minimal residual disease.
Superior Bone Marrow Homing of G-CSF Mobilized Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells (HPC) - A Home Run.

Abstract The kinetics of HPC engraftment correlate to a significant degree with the efficiency of bone marrow (BM) homing. We recently documented that fresh BM-HPC, rendered SDF-1 unresponsive or Gi-signaling refractory, homed normally, due to efficient retention through α4-integrin/VCAM 1. However, when deletion of α4-integrin or VCAM-1 was combined with SDF-1/CXCR4- or Gi-protein-signaling blockade, BM homing was drastically reduced, uncovering non-dominant contributions of SDF-1/CXCR4 and Gi-proteins. When, in contrast, cytokine (SCF) incubated HPC were transplanted, loss of CXCR4- or Gi-signaling alone significantly reduced BM homing, with little compensation by α4/VCAM-1 and endothelial selectins. These studies depicted a flexible hierarchy of cooperating homing pathways, in which the dominance of the individual pathway contribution is shifted in response to the cytokine milieu. Based on these data, we reasoned that different donor transplant sources might differ in the relative contribution of each homing pathway. This concept was tested with G-CSF mobilized (MPB) and fresh steady-state BM (ssBM) HPC. To assess the homing properties of these two cell sources, we controlled the number of transplanted colony-forming cells (CFU-C). We found that murine or human MPB-HPC homed significantly better than the respective ssBM-HPC: 1.16±0.04% per femur vs. 0.80±0.03% for murine cells, and 1.64±0.13% vs. 0.51±0.04% for human cells transplanted to NOD/SCIDβ2microglobulin −/− recipients were recovered 18h after transplantation (n>20, p
Did foragers adopt farming? A perspective from the margins of the Tibetan Plateau

Farmer's ability to rapidly grow their populations has been seen as an advantage in allowing them to either engulf or simply do away with foragers. Research on agriculture's spread in East Asia has followed an underlying assumption: that farming produced equally reliable returns across the vast expanse of territories into which it spread. Farmers are thus always seen as being at a demographic advantage. However, in some parts of Asia, ecological barriers to growing crops may have meant that the opposite was true. In order to illuminate how foragers and farmers might have interacted in environments marginal to crop cultivation, I argue that we first need to outline where the barriers to farmer expansion in prehistory lay. Using ecological niche modeling combined with an analysis of recent archaeological data, this paper contrasts forager farmer interaction in two different areas of the Tibetan Plateau. It argues that the higher elevation reaches of the “third pole” constituted a barrier for early millet farmers expanding into the region. In these areas foragers may have maintained a competitive advantage.
Systemic inflammation and viral exposure among young Mexican American women: Nativity-related differences

Background: Factors contributing to el­evated inflammation in racial/ethnic minor­ity populations are not well understood. We examined the association of viral exposure with C-reactive protein (CRP) in young Mexican American women. Methods and Results: Participants (N=1,141) were currently non-pregnant women of Mexican background, aged 18- 39 years, from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010. Viral exposure was defined as seropositive status for hepatitis B, and herpes simplex types 1 and 2, and classified as seronegative, seropositive for any one agent, and seropositive for 2 or 3 agents. The association of viral exposure with elevated CRP (3.01-10.00 mg/L) varied by country of birth (P=.001). Among Mexico-born women, those seropositive for 2 or 3 agents had 3.79 times (95% CI: 1.28- 11.27) and those seropositive for any one agent 2.56 times (95% CI: 1.12-5.86) the odds of elevated CRP compared with sero­negative women, after adjustment for age, country of birth, household density, waist circumference, glycated hemoglobin, and total cholesterol. Among US-born women, the corresponding odds were OR: .32, 95% CI: .12-.86 and OR: .71, 95% CI .43-1.17. Conclusions: In Mexico-born Mexican American women, viral exposure is associ­ated with higher odds of elevated CRP. Ethn Dis. 2017;27(2):133-142; doi:10.18865/ed.27.2.133.
Commentary on “Strengths and Weaknesses in the Intellectual Profile of Different Subtypes of Specific Learning Disorder” (Toffalini et al., 2017)

In their article on specific learning disorders (SLDs), Toffalini, Giofre, and Cornoldi conducted a profile analysis of index scores from individuals diagnosed with an SLD. Their data interpretation—and subsequent clinical recommendations—have many of the same problems that have plagued the research in subscale score interpretation for decades. In this article, I describe some problems with Toffalini et al.’s analysis and conclusions as well as provide some recommendations for future research and clinical use of subscale scores.
High-Reliability Principles Must Be Tied to Value-Based Outcomes

WellStar Health System and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), highlighted in this issue's feature articles, are two organizations seeking to drive high reliability by educating leaders and incorporating high-reliability principles into their quality improvement (QI) efforts. The organizations have taken slightly different approaches to executing on high reliability, yet both are encouraged by the apparent success of high-reliability principles in other industries.The high-reliability framework is often applied to healthcare despite the limitations of comparing healthcare organizations to nuclear reactors, commercial airlines, and aircraft carriers. Notably, these industries were classified as "highly reliable" after the fact, meaning their employees and leadership already had existing routines and qualities that researchers would describe, after direct observation, as a shared distinguishing feature. Thus, in contrast to Lean, Six Sigma, and other QI movements that have been applied in healthcare, industries such as nuclear power and aviation came with tools and quantitative processes already embedded. The high-reliability framework is qualitative, while the actual hard, quantitative tools and processes differ by industry. This fact makes adopting high-reliability principles difficult because the tools must be created and scaled for each industry. Healthcare is still in the early stages of building these tools to support the high-reliability framework, and the articles by Saunders and Brennan (at WellStar) and Cawley and Scheurer (at MUSC) describe early attempts to provide insights into launching high-reliability principles and tools in healthcare.High reliability is a theoretical construct that is difficult to implement without a concrete framework for execution. The five characteristics that frame a high-reliability organization (HRO), as outlined by Cawley and Scheurer (citing ), are (1) preoccupation with failure, (2) reluctance to simplify interpretations, (3) sensitivity to operations, (4) commitment to resilience, and (5) deference to expertise. Although these elements point in the right direction, they remain theoretical if not tethered to an organization's operating cycle.
Giant Chest Wall Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background We present an interesting case of a 55-year-old male with a large left chest mass after significant cutaneous bleeding. Computed tomography angiogram of the chest revealed arteriovenous malformation with blood supply from sub-branches of the left subclavian artery, left internal mammary artery, and left external carotid artery. Measuring 5.0 × 14.0 × 10.8 cm, the mass extended superior to the clavicle and inferior to the third rib with medial and lateral borders at the level of the clavicular head and coracoid, respectively. Methods Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are characterized by abnormal connections between arteries and veins which bypass the capillary system. Often small and asymptomatic, large AVMs can be painful, prone to bleeding and, if large enough, interfere with activities of daily living. While described involving various parts of the body, most notably in the central nervous system, there is a paucity of literature involving chest wall AVMs. Results Using a staged, multidisciplinary approach, treatment began with an endovascular exclusion of the arterial blood supply, which involved a combination of coil embolization and stent exclusion of feeder vessels. Two days postembolization, the patient underwent an en bloc resection of affected portion of his chest wall. Reconstruction was completed with a combination rotational flap and split-thickness skin graft. Following the procedures, the patient had an uncomplicated recovery. Three years following procedure, he has no signs of recurrence of his AV malformation. Conclusion Surgical planning and indications for giant arteriovenous malformations remains a unique and difficult problem. The complex anatomy and extreme rarity of a chest wall AVM requires a multidisciplinary staged approach but can be treated with a multistage, multidisciplinary surgical approach with satisfactory and long-lasting results.
Motorized Microforceps With Active Motion Guidance Based on Common-Path SSOCT for Epiretinal Membranectomy

In this study, we built and tested a handheld motion-guided microforceps system using common-path swept source optical coherence tomography (CP-SSOCT) for highly accurate depth controlled epiretinal membranectomy. A touch sensor and two motors were used in the forceps design to minimize the inherent motion artifact while squeezing the tool handle to actuate the tool and grasp, and to independently control the depth of the tool-tip. A smart motion monitoring and a guiding algorithm were devised to provide precise and intuitive freehand control. We compared the involuntary tool-tip motion occurring while grasping with a standard manual microforceps and our touch sensor activated microforceps. The results showed that our touch-sensor-based and motor-actuated tool can significantly attenuate the motion artifact during grasping (119.81 μ m with our device versus 330.73 μ m with the standard microforceps). By activating the CP-SSOCT-based depth locking feature, the erroneous tool-tip motion can be further reduced down to 5.11 μ m. We evaluated the performance of our device in comparison with the standard instrument in terms of the elapsed time, the number of grasping attempts, and the maximum depth of damage created on the substrate surface while trying to pick up small pieces of fibers (O 125 μ m) from a soft polymer surface. The results indicate that all metrics were significantly improved when using our device, of note, the average elapsed time, the number of grasping attempts, and the maximum depth of damage were reduced by 25%, 31%, and 75%, respectively.
Novel Radiotherapy Modalities

The delivery and role of radiation therapy have evolved over the past decade. Historically, patients with pancreatic cancer have received standard chemotherapy and radiation for all stages of disease. This was delivered over 5–6 weeks and given concurrently with 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine. While this approach has been effective at improving local control and pain, adjacent dose-limiting structures such as the stomach and bowel precluded achieving doses higher than 50 Gy. In addition, a large proportion of patients would develop acute and late toxicities that would sometimes prevent or limit subsequent systemic therapy. New radiation technologies now allow for the delivery of high doses of radiation that can result in durable local control and possibly achieve tumor sterilization. These advances include intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and heavy ion (proton) therapy. Now radiation therapy can be delivered much more precisely over 1–3 weeks and more easily combined with novel systemic therapies, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. In addition, next-generation sequencing and imaging biomarkers can be used to better identify which patient is more or less likely to benefit from radiation therapy.
Vitamin D receptor protects glioblastoma A172 cells against Coxsackievirus A16 infection induced cell death in the pathogenesis of hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) was one of the most common children illnesses. Coxsackievirus A16 was one of the major pathogens that cause HFMD. However, the role of vitamin D underlying this common illness has not been elucidated. Our study examined that vitamin D levels was significantly lower in 33 HFMD patients, compared to 36 healthy children. Unexpectedly, both mRNA and protein expression of VDR were significantly decreased in CA16 infected glioblastoma A172 cells. And overexpression of VDR or vitamin D treatment in CA16 infected glioblastoma A172 cells could reverse the CA16 infection induced cell death, apoptosis or mitochondrial membrane rupture. Therefore, our study, for the first time, demonstrated that vitamin D and VDR could associate with the pathogenesis of HFMD. Thus might provide useful information for HFMD prevention and treatments.
Primary Emotion: Zest

In this chapter the question is: Do persons experience the primary emotion, zest-mastery? I shall approach the answer by indicating difficulties with concepts that contribute to my view. My reader is already familiar with my complaint that the will to live becomes an omnibus concept into which too many varied meanings are crammed. Moreover, when we read the statement, “Man is governed by the will to live,” close inspection usually shows that some quality of living is actually intended.
3D Polarized Imaging of Coronal Mass Ejections: Chirality of a CME

We report on a direct polarimetric determination of the chirality of a coronal mass ejection (CME), using the physics of Thomson scattering applied to synoptic polarized images from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories/COR2 coronagraph. We confirmed the determination using in situ magnetic field measurements of the same CME with the ACE spacecraft. CME chirality is related to the helicity ejected from the solar corona along with the mass and field entrained in the CME. It is also important to prediction of the space-weather-relevant Z component of the CME magnetic field. Hence, remote measurement of CME chirality is an important step toward both understanding CME physics and predicting geoeffectiveness of individual CMEs. The polarimetric properties of Thomson scattering are well known and can, in principle, be used to measure the 3D structure of imaged objects in the solar corona and inner heliosphere. However, reduction of that principle to practice has been limited by the twin difficulties of background subtraction and the signal-to-noise ratio in coronagraph data. Useful measurements of the 3D structure require relative photometry at a few percent precision level in each linear polarization component of the K corona. This corresponds to a relative photometric precision of order 10−4 in direct images of the sky before subtraction of the F corona and related signal. Our measurement was enabled by recent developments in signal processing, which enable a better separation of the photometric signal from noise in the synoptic COR2 data. We discuss the relevance of this demonstration measurement to future instrument requirements, and to the future measurements of 3D structures in CMEs and other solar wind features.
Phospho-specific antibodies to Ser126 and Ser874 of the apical Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) demonstrate vasopressin-regulated phosphorylation in the renal thick ascending limb (TAL)

Renal countercurrent multiplication is controlled in part through the action of vasopressin to regulate NaCl absorption in the TAL. Our recent phosphoproteomic analysis in rat has identified two pr...
Use and Utility of Skeletal Surveys to Evaluate for Occult Fractures in Young Injured Children

Abstract Objective To describe the percentage and characteristics of children aged Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of a stratified, systematic random sample of 1769 children aged Results Skeletal surveys were performed in 46.3% of children aged 0 to 5 months, in 21.1% of those aged 6 to 11 months, in 8.0% of those aged 12 to 17 months, and in 6.2% of those aged 18 to 24 months. Skeletal surveys were performed most frequently in children with traumatic brain injuries (64.7%) and rib fractures (100%) and least frequently in those with burns (2.1%) and minor head injuries (4.4%). In adjusted analyses, older age, private insurance, and reported history of accidental trauma were associated with decreased skeletal survey use (P ≤ .001 for all). The prevalence of occult fractures on skeletal surveys ranged from 24.6% in children aged 0 to 5months to 3.6% in those aged 18 to 24 months, and varied within age categories based on the presenting injury (P Conclusions The high rate of occult fractures in infants aged 0 to 5 months underscores the importance of increasing the use of skeletal surveys in this population. Further research is needed to identify the injury characteristics of older infants and toddlers most at risk for occult fractures.
Preceptor and resident perceptions of entrustable professional activities for postgraduate pharmacy training.

Abstract Background Following the development and implementation of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) as a collective graduation standard for pharmacy students, the University of Minnesota's multi-site post-graduate year one pharmacy residency program made a similar transition. Educational activity and setting An electronic survey was distributed to program preceptors and residents to describe the perceptions of using EPAs to assess performance. Findings Residents (66.7%) and preceptors (78.3%) found the EPA framework to be more helpful than the traditional progression ratings model, but both groups also described EPAs as less beneficial for some objectives. Sixteen (69.6%) preceptors felt the residency graduation standard for attainment should be an entrustment level 4 or 5. Preceptor's found the EPA scale to be more descriptive, more objective, and easier to understand; however, it did not always apply to all skills and was more challenging to provide residents information regarding what they needed to improve upon. Residents commented that the EPA scale was more descriptive, had better clarity, and gave them a better idea of where their progression was at on a continuum. Residents also commented that regardless of the rating scale, specific, day-to-day feedback is more helpful. Summary Residents and preceptors perceive the EPA framework to be more helpful than traditional rating scales when evaluating learning objectives. Preceptors were less certain of what the EPAs entrustment level should be to consider a learning objective or skill achieved for residency. Both found some learning objectives to be more challenging for EPA use.
TREAT M2 experiment modeling for transient benchmark analysis

Abstract The Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) is a graphite moderated, air-cooled reactor historically operated for experimental fuel transient testing. This facility has returned to operation, and as part of that effort, the ability to model and predict the conditions for upcoming experiments is paramount to the development of the next generation of transient experiments and fuel testing. In order to design future experiments, methods are being developed to predictively reproduce data from experiments performed at TREAT prior to its shutdown in 1994. In this work, the M2 and M3 experiments, representing a set of transient tests, were selected to explore as TREAT transient benchmarks. In TREAT, transients are controlled largely by control/transient rod movement and temperature feedback that is attributed to the core’s graphite-fuel matrix. To capture these effects, a methodology for modeling these mechanisms using multi-physics coupled Monte Carlo simulations is developed. This includes performing full-core transient simulations using the Serpent Monte Carlo code with feedback based on temperature estimates derived from the OpenFOAM computational fluid dynamics code. Using this methodology, the developed model for the TREAT reactor was able to reproduce the pre-transient power maneuver from low power up to 27 MW and to initiate the power transient for the M2 2580 experiment. The results demonstrate the utility of this approach for dynamic modeling of the reactor. Additional investigation of the impact of key phenomena such as neutron thermalization and temperature response in TREAT’s graphitic core and the surrounding reflector was also performed under steady state conditions using the developed models.
Obstructing and Bleeding Colon Cancer: Surgical Management

For the readership of this text, performing the actual procedure to remove diseased, malignant tumors of the colon is straightforward. Adhering to the oncologic principle of clear margins with adequate lymph node harvest is paramount. In the acute setting of obstruction and bleeding, adhering to these principles can often be difficult because of the size of the tumor, tumor invasion into surrounding structures, and patient factors (hemodynamically unstable, poor nutritional status, etc.). This chapter will focus on reviewing principles of surgery with the intent of addressing the complicating factors associated with obstructing and/or bleeding malignant tumors.
Work and Family Conflict: Expectations and Planning Among Female College Students

Young women today are anticipating involvement in both career and family. The competing demands of family and work often result in work-family conflict. A survey was administered to 124 female college students exploring the importance they place on work and family roles, the expectations they have for combining these roles, and their attitudes toward planning for multiple roles. Identity theory provides a foundation for understanding the choices women make regarding their anticipated participation in work and family roles. The results suggest that although college women are expecting to have demanding careers and involved family lives, they are not planning realistically in order to facilitate the combining of career and family roles with a minimum of conflict.
Management of anticoagulation and antiplatelet agents in the radical cystectomy patient.

Abstract Background Bladder cancer is a disease of the older adult, and management of comorbid conditions requiring anticoagulation (AC) or antiplatelet agents (APA) around the time of radical cystectomy (RC) is a frequent clinical challenge. It is estimated that 10% of adult surgical patients are on chronic anticoagulation medications, and considerations surrounding the perioperative disruption, resumption, and modification or substitution of AC and APA in patients undergoing radical cystectomy are critical for the practicing urologist. Methods In our report, we performed a comprehensive literature review using PubMed to evaluate all available studies from 1950 to present. Additionally, we reviewed current multidisciplinary guideline papers from the American College of Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, and CHEST Society regarding perioperative management of anticoagulation and antiplatelet agents. Results Our keyword search yielded 35 articles from 1950 to 2019. We identified 16 studies pertaining specifically to evaluation and perioperative management of anticoagulation in patient undergoing RC. Many of the recommendations in this realm are informed by trial data outside the RC population in the general surgical population or general adult population. Current guidelines from the American College of Surgeons, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, and CHEST Society inform our recommendations heavily and are summarized in Table 1 . Conclusions Radical cystectomy remains both a mainstay of therapy for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and a morbid procedure. Competing risks of perioperative hemorrhage and thromboembolic events make management of anticoagulation and antiplatelet agents an important and modifiable risk factor. Our review of the current literature highlights the knowledge gap that exists in management of these agents in the radical cystectomy patient. A multi-disciplinary approach to management of this clinical challenge remains a mainstay of treatment.
A design of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectrometer for spatial- and time-resolved spectroscopy.

The optical design of a Hettrick–Underwood-style soft X-ray spectrometer with Wolter type 1 mirrors is presented. The spectrometer with a nominal length of 3.1 m can achieve a high resolving power (resolving power higher than 10000) in the soft X-ray regime when a small source beam (<3 µm in the grating dispersion direction) and small pixel detector (5 µm effective pixel size) are used. Adding Wolter mirrors to the spectrometer before its dispersive elements can realize the spatial imaging capability, which finds applications in the spectroscopic studies of spatially dependent electronic structures in tandem catalysts, heterostructures, etc. In the pump–probe experiments where the pump beam perturbs the materials followed by the time-delayed probe beam to reveal the transient evolution of electronic structures, the imaging capability of the Wolter mirrors can offer the pixel-equivalent femtosecond time delay between the pump and probe beams when their wavefronts are not collinear. In combination with some special sample handing systems, such as liquid jets and droplets, the imaging capability can also be used to study the time-dependent electronic structure of chemical transformation spanning multiple time domains from microseconds to nanoseconds. The proposed Wolter mirrors can also be adopted to the existing soft X-ray spectrometers that use the Hettrick–Underwood optical scheme, expanding their capabilities in materials research.
Factors Influencing Student Learning in Semi-Flipped General Chemistry Courses.

In this study, customized videos and chapter handouts served as pre-class materials for semi-flipped General Chemistry II courses. Face-to-face class time involved engaging students in interactive problem-solving sessions on the board with the instructor and collaborative group activities. During the interactive problem-solving sessions, students guided the instructor with steps and any questions/concerns related to the topics of discussion were addressed. Students were in a position to participate during interactive sessions, as they had reviewed pre-class materials. Various components of semi-flipped classrooms are discussed in this article. The impact of homework completion and usage of course content through page views option on Canvas (Learning Management System) were investigated. Students who completed all the homework (all-HW) in the course performed significantly better on summative assessments than students who completed some of the homework (some-HW). Applying content from pre-class materials and face-to-face discussions to homework led to meaningful engagement of students. On the basis of the course content usage through page views on Canvas (LMS), students were categorized as high end users (HEU) or low end users (LEU). The performances of HEU students on summative assessments were comparable to LEU students in the course.
Protecting group migrations in carbohydrate chemistry.

Abstract Protecting groups are valuable in chemo- and regioselective synthetic manipulations. In particular, they are indispensable in carbohydrate chemistry. Although a wide array of protecting groups are available at the disposal of carbohydrate chemists, their stability and orthogonality make the choice of protecting groups challenging. Another important factor is the migratory aptitude of different protecting groups used in carbohydrate chemistry. Migration of commonly used groups like silyl, acetal and acyl groups under various reaction conditions are discussed. Synthetic application of predicted migrations, alternate protecting groups to avoid migration and conditions favoring and disfavoring migrations are discussed in this review.
Characteristics and Spillover Effects of Medium-Scale Farms in Tanzania

Although medium-scale farms are more prevalent than large-scale farms in many sub-Saharan African countries, much less is known about their interactions with, and influence on, small-scale farms. In Tanzania, medium-scale farms are more likely to use modern techniques and inputs and to market their output, suggesting a potential for spillover effects for their smaller-scale neighbors—particularly if they attract local agribusiness investments. We consider the population of small-scale farms in Tanzania and ask whether agricultural behaviors and outcomes are affected by the local prevalence of medium-scale farms. Using pooled OLS and household fixed-effects models, we find evidence that small-scale farms are more likely to use improved seed, to cultivate more of their landholdings, and to receive agricultural extension in the presence of more medium-scale farms. This points to positive synergies from mixed scales of farming in a given locality.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in dried blood spots

The COVID-19 pandemic led to development of numerous serologic tests. To obviate the need for phlebotomy services, we validated dried blood spots (DBS) for anti-SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing. Immunoglobulins were extracted from 3 mm DBS punches and the extracts were analyzed using the Euroimmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA. Various pre-analytical factors were studied. Results were favorable for DBS stored for at least 67 days at or below 37°C. Comparison between paired serum and DBS specimens tested by the Euroimmun ELISA showed 96.8% and 81.3% positive and negative agreement, respectively, indicating that confirmatory testing of positive Euroimmun results on DBS extracts is necessary to achieve clinical accuracy. Our findings suggest that any SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay that requires pre-dilution of serum is amenable to DBS as an alternate specimen type that is relatively low cost, self-collectable, stable, can be shipped by standard mail and could be used to establish the seroprevalence of large populations.
Robust effects of working memory demand during naturalistic language comprehension in language-selective cortex

Abstract A standard view of human language processing is that comprehenders build richly structured mental representations of natural language utterances, word by word, using computationally costly memory operations supported by domain-general working memory resources. However, three core claims of this view have been questioned, with some prior work arguing that (1) rich word-by-word structure building is not a core function of the language comprehension system, (2) apparent working memory costs are underlyingly driven by word predictability (surprisal), and/or (3) language comprehension relies primarily on domain-general rather than domain-specific working memory resources. In this work, we simultaneously evaluate all three of these claims using naturalistic comprehension in fMRI. In each participant, we functionally localize (a) a language-selective network and (b) a ‘multiple-demand’ network that supports working memory across domains, and we analyze the responses in these two networks of interest during naturalistic story listening with respect to a range of theory-driven predictors of working memory demand under rigorous surprisal controls. Results show robust surprisal-independent effects of word-by-word memory demand in the language network and no effect of working memory demand in the multiple demand network. Our findings thus support the view that language comprehension (1) entails word-by-word structure building using (2) computationally intensive memory operations that are not explained by surprisal. However, these results challenge (3) the domain-generality of the resources that support these operations, instead indicating that working memory operations for language comprehension are carried out by the same neural resources that store linguistic knowledge. Significance Statement This study uses fMRI to investigate signatures of working memory (WM) demand during naturalistic story listening, using a broad range of theoretically motivated estimates of WM demand. Results support a strong effect of WM demand in language-selective brain regions but no effect of WM demand in “multiple demand” regions that have previously been associated with WM in non-linguistic domains. We further show evidence that WM effects in language regions are distinct from effects of word predictability. Our findings support a core role for WM in incremental language processing, using WM resources that are specialized for language.
Utilization of direct forcing immersed boundary methods for the optimization of inertial focusing microfluidics

Inertial focusing microfluidics have gained significant momentum in the last decade for their ability to separate and filter mixtures of particles and cells based on size [1-3]. However, the most important feature is that the separation is passive, without the need for external forces. At the heart of inertial focusing is the balance between counteracting lift forces: shear and wallinduced lift. Shear-induced lift is a product of the curvature of the fluid flow and the rotation of the particle in the flow, while wall-induced lift is generated by the disturbance of the fluid by the particle near a wall. This phenomenon was first observed by Segre and Silberberg for the focusing of particles in a pipe, and was later extended to the focusing of cells and particle in rectangular channels [4]. Taking advantage of inertial focusing we explore particle capture utilizing an expanded channel microfluidics chip design. By expanding a small region of the straight channel microvortices form in the well, which allows for size selective trapping of particles.
Menstrual cycle effects on sympathetic neural burst amplitude distribution during orthostasis in young women

Fluctuations in ovarian hormones during the menstrual cycle impact muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst frequency and burst incidence at rest. The purpose of this study was to investigate menstrual cycle effects on sympathetic neural burst amplitude distribution during an orthostatic challenge in young women. This study included 11 healthy women (33 ± 10 years [mean ± standard deviation]). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity was measured in the supine position as baseline measurement and during 5 min of 60° upright tilting, during the early follicular phase (low estrogen and progesterone) and mid-luteal phase (high estrogen and progesterone) of the menstrual cycle. Relative burst amplitude distribution of muscle sympathetic nerve activity was characterized by the mean, median, skewness, and kurtosis. From the supine to upright position, mean and median values of relative burst amplitude increased (both P < 0.05), regardless of phases of the menstrual cycle (P = 0.5 and P = 0.7, respectively). In comparison, during the early follicular phase, skewness and kurtosis remained unchanged (P = 0.6 and P = 0.3, respectively) and kurtosis decreased (1.25 ± 1.11 supine vs. − 0.03 ± 0.73 upright; P = 0.02); there was no change in skewness during the mid-luteal phase (P = 0.4). In response to orthostasis, while the symmetry and tailedness/peakness of burst amplitude distribution do not change during the early follicular phase, the distribution during the mid-luteal phase becomes flatter with a lower but broader peak. The latter result suggests that the firing probability of large axon action potentials in response to orthostatic challenge is higher when estrogen and progesterone levels are elevated. The role of changes in sympathetic neural burst amplitude distribution in orthostatic tolerance remains to be determined.
Some Postclassic Questions About the Classic Maya

The Postclassic and Colonial texts of the Books of Chilam Balam tell us very little, or so I believe, about the Classic Maya directly. And that little, though very precious, is confined to brief passages in the first three Chronicles, and may have been reshaped to fit the mythological predilections of a later age. The Chronicles being much the best known passages of the Books to Mayanists (Barrera, 1948; Roys 1935), and the events they chronicle being as much as a millennium removed from the composition of the surviving versions, I shall eschew here any attempt to interpret their direct relevance to Mayan Classic history in detail. While the Books do not give us direct answers to our questions about the Classic Maya, they do raise some interesting questions about Classic Maya culture to which archaeology, art history and epigraphy may eventually supply answers. It is the object of this paper to isolate some of these questions, primarily social, calendrical and literary. The basis of these queries is my recent translations of the Books of Tizimin (Edmonson, n. d. a: completed) and Chumayel (Edmonson, n. d. b: in draft). Largely on internal evidence, I conclude that the extant versions of these two Books date to the period between 1824 and 1837. Even if, as I believe, they contain passages transcribed from pre-Conquest glyphic texts, they are nonetheless separated from the end of the Classic period by nearly a thousand years. They present corresponding problems of interpretation before we use them in the reconstruction of earlier Mayan history.