cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conduction band states of transition metal (TM) high-k gate dielectrics as determined from X-ray absorption spectra

Abstract This paper uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the electronic structure of the high-k gate dielectrics including TM and RE oxides. The results are applicable to TM and rare earth (RE) silicate and aluminate alloys, as well as complex oxides comprised of mixed TM/TM and TM/RE oxides. These studies identify the nature of the lowest conduction band d∗ states, which define the optical band gap, Eg, and the conduction band offset energy with respect to crystalline Si, EB. Eg and EB scale with the atomic properties of the TM and RE atoms providing important insights for identification high-k dielectrics that meet performance targets for advanced CMOS devices.
More Than Meets the Ear: The Agency of Hindustani Music in the Lives and Careers of John Coltrane and George Harrison

A comparison of John Coltrane and George Harrison reveals striking parallels in the ways their careers and lives were affected by their contact with Hindustani music, the classical music of North India. I examine these parallels, paying attention to how these men were personally transformed and developed a desire to transform others. They both drew upon Hindustani music as a means to accomplish their artistic goals, providing case studies of Indian music’s ability to sonically embody the philosophies and thinking that are inseparable from it in its native cultural context. Coltrane and Harrison had distinctly different approaches to raise audience awareness and reach listeners on a deeper level. A probe into the success of these approaches evaluates the effectiveness of each in fulfilling his objectives. Finally, this study considers this appropriation within the context of each man’s career. How are the expectations of the pop-culture worlds of Coltrane, a black American jazz musician, and Harrison, a white British rocker, reflected in their relationship with this foreign music and culture? Portraits emerge of two artists who found spiritual renewal by looking for musical inspiration from a source outside of their cultures. The desire to share their experience consumed their careers: Coltrane’s method was understated; Harrison was forthright. They operated in different popular- and musical-cultural worlds. Their use of Indian musical elements reflects this. Harrison was coping with questions of identity and independence while being permanently associated with the greatest pop group of all time (the Beatles). Coltrane was dealing with the rising volatility of the Civil Rights movement and the conflicting ideals of unification and divisiveness entwined within his elevation as a symbol of black nationalism. The spirituality acquired through Indian music helped both sustain a social-centered consciousness in their art and creative pursuits.
DIFFERENTIAL CONDITIONAL EMOTIONAL AND CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES—A TRAINING TECHNIQUE FOR MONKEYS1

A training technique has been developed which combines classical differential conditioning and conditional emotional response (CER) procedures. After monkeys were trained to lever-press on a variable-interval schedule, two stimulus lights were presented. One light (CS) was always followed, upon termination, by electrical shock; the other light (DS) was never followed by shock. The response to the CS was a decreased rate of lever-pressing and increased heart rate and blood-flow velocity. None of these responses occurred to the DS. This technique eliminates the possibility of pseudoconditioning and provides measurement of both somatic and autonomic responses in a CER situation.
Calculation of the Mutual Inductance of Co-Axial Cylindrical Coils of Small Radial Depth

This note shows how the mutual inductance of coaxial cylindrical coils of small radial depth may readily be obtained by the use of curves of a type recently described by the United States Bureau of Standards. These curves cover the mutual inductance between coaxial circles, and by a very simple process of summation their usefulness can be extended to coils of small radial depth.
Cultivating Virtue: Moral Progress and the Kantian State

After examining the ethical and political writings of Immanuel Kant, one finds an apparent paradox in his philosophy as his perfectionist moral teachings appear to be linked to his anti-perfectionist political theory. Specifically, he writes that the perfection of moral character can only take place for an individual who is inside of civil society, a condition where no laws may legitimately be implemented expressly for the purpose of trying to make individuals moral. Kant believes that living in civil society is a necessary condition for an individual to refine his talents and reason completely, a process required by morality. I believe, however, that the connection between his moral and political theory runs much deeper than simply facilitating the refinement of talents. Kant's moral theory focuses on an individual's cultivation of virtue, but this cultivation cannot be most satisfactorily completed unless that individual is a member of civil society. Put differently, civil society plays a necessary role in cultivating an individual's character so that he is able to act from maxims consistent with the moral law, out of the respect for the law itself. However, because he believes that civic laws primarily intended to encourage moral cultivation cannot be implemented legitimately, it seems curious that this condition should play such a significant role in Kant's moral philosophy. Through this examination of Kant's moral and political theory, it will be shown that Kant's political society establishes a condition necessary for an individual's complete cultivation of virtue, not by implementing laws that make men moral but by weakening the forces of heteronomy, thereby removing barriers to moral action.
Borrowed words in Chumburung

Summary In general, cross‐grammatical category borrowings in Chumburung are few. Most of the borrowings are nouns, with some verbs from Twi, though rarely from English. Phonological assimilations reveal the pressure of a strong CV syllable pattern which forces loans to split consonant clusters and avoid consonantal endings. A borrowed word that ends in a vowel has the vowel lengthened to preserve its identity across vowel‐junctures. Tone‐bearing loanwords tend to carry across the same tones. Remote borrowings via Twi show up mostly in the noun class system. Chumburung‐speakers have problems assigning a noun class to words which have a mismatch of class prefixes, especially Twi singular prefixes which look like plurals in Chumburung. The problem shows up again in the assignment of the correct concordial personal pronoun, and there may be a mismatch between pronoun and prefix. Animacy and humanness are relevant factors. Size may be relevant in the assignment of a prefix to a loanword that has none. Reinterp...
Proposed Panel: The Need for and Role of Endarch: Journal of Black Political Research in a 'Post Racial' World

Join past and present Editors and Editorial Reviewers of Endarch: Journal of Black Political Research for a panel discussion on the need and role of Endarch in a “Post Racial” World. The panel will cover Endarch’s history and Endarch’s role in shaping the conversation around issues concerning the black community and the so-called “Post-Racial” World. Endarch: Journal of Black Political Research is a double blind peer-reviewed journal published by Clark Atlanta University Department of Political Science in partnership with Atlanta University Center Robert Woodruff Library. Since the Fall of 1974, Endarch: Journal of Black Political Research has sought to reflect, analyze, and generate activity, which will ultimately lead toward the expansion, clarification, and solidification of black political thought. For this purpose, the journal publishes articles that report original investigations and contribute new scholarship to the field of political science.
Relative effectiveness of phenothiazine tranquilizing drugs causing release of MSH.

SummaryNine phenothiazine ataraxic drugs were found to cause melanophore dispersion in the intact frog; one drug was shown to be ineffective. All drugs tested in hypophysectomized animals were without effect. The drugs, therefore, are effecting the release of MSH by direct action on the hypophysis or indirectly via brain centers. Minimal effective doses of the drugs were correlated with substitutions on the phenothiazine nucleus. A parallel with milligram potency for therapeutic control of psychiatric disorders is noted.
Physiological studies of the precedence effect in the inferior colliculus of the cat. II. Neural mechanisms.

Litovsky, Ruth Y. and Tom C. T. Yin. Physiological studies of the precedence effect in the inferior colliculus of the cat. II. Neural mechanisms. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1302–1316, 1998. We studied th...
Tentative identification of benzo[a]pyrene metabolite-nucleoside complexes produced in vitro by mouse liver microsomes.

When [3H]benzo[a]pyrene is incubated in vitro together with deproteinized salmon sperm DNA, NADPH, and mouse liver microsomes, the covalent binding of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites to DNA occurs. The metabolite-nucleoside complexes can be resolved into at least nine distinct peaks by elution of a Sephadex LH-20 column with a water-methanol gradient. These peaks are arbitrarily designated A (most polar) through I (least polar). With the use of synthetic and biologically produced metabolites, seven of nine peaks are tentatively assigned to one or more metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene. Peaks A and C are unidentified. Peaks B, D, F, and I include products of benzo[a]pyrene quinones that are further metabolized. Peak E reflects almost exclusively both the cis- and trans-7,8-diol 9,10-epoxides of benzo[a]pyrene. Peak G represents predominantly the K-region metabolite (the 4,5-oxide), interacting with one or more nucleosides. Peak H comprises reactive intermediates resulting from the further metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene phenols. The 7,8-oxide and the 9,10-oxide contribute to peaks E, F, G, and H. Benzo[a] pyrene thus may be metabolized to four different "types" of reactive intermediates capable of binding to DNA: (a) primary arene oxides, (b) diol epoxides, (c) phenols oxygenated further, and (d) quinones oxygenated further (or quinone-derived free radicals). These last three types of microsomally activated intermediates are therefore the result of two- or three-step enzymatic processes in which cytochrome P-450-mediated monooxygenations occur at least twice.
Mammalian Period represses and de-represses transcription by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from promoters in a Cryptochrome-dependent manner

The mammalian circadian clock is based on a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL) consolidated by secondary loops. In the primary TTFL, the circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK)–brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1) heterodimer acts as the transcriptional activator, and Cryptochrome (CRY) and Period (PER) proteins function as repressors. PER represses by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from promoters in a CRY-dependent manner. Interestingly, genes with complex promoters may either be repressed or de-repressed by PER, depending on the particular promoter regulatory elements. Here, using mouse cell lines with defined knockout mutations in clock genes, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and reporter gene assays coupled with measurements of DNA–protein interactions in nuclear extracts, we elucidate the dual functions of PER as repressor and de-repressor in a context-dependent manner.
FEDRR: fast, exhaustive detection of redundant hierarchical relations for quality improvement of large biomedical ontologies

Redundant hierarchical relations refer to such patterns as two paths from one concept to another, one with length one (direct) and the other with length greater than one (indirect). Each redundant relation represents a possibly unintended defect that needs to be corrected in the ontology quality assurance process. Detecting and eliminating redundant relations would help improve the results of all methods relying on the relevant ontological systems as knowledge source, such as the computation of semantic distance between concepts and for ontology matching and alignment. This paper introduces a novel and scalable approach, called FEDRR – Fast, Exhaustive Detection of Redundant Relations – for quality assurance work during ontological evolution. FEDRR combines the algorithm ideas of Dynamic Programming with Topological Sort, for exhaustive mining of all redundant hierarchical relations in ontological hierarchies, in O(c·|V|+|E|) time, where |V| is the number of concepts, |E| is the number of the relations, and c is a constant in practice. Using FEDRR, we performed exhaustive search of all redundant is-a relations in two of the largest ontological systems in biomedicine: SNOMED CT and Gene Ontology (GO). 372 and 1609 redundant is-a relations were found in the 2015-09-01 version of SNOMED CT and 2015-05-01 version of GO, respectively. We have also performed FEDRR on over 190 source vocabularies in the UMLS - a large integrated repository of biomedical ontologies, and identified six sources containing redundant is-a relations. Randomly generated ontologies have also been used to further validate the efficiency of FEDRR. FEDRR provides a generally applicable, effective tool for systematic detecting redundant relations in large ontological systems for quality improvement.
Synchronous Pollen Mitosis and the Formation of the Generative Cell in Massulate Orchids

In orchd species forming microspores in aggregates, the pollen mitotic division occurs synchronously in all cells of each massula, as do the earlier meiotic divisions. The synchroneity can be traced to the persistence of cytoplasmic connexions between the cells, from the meiotic prophiase until pollen maturation. The mitosis giving the generative nucleus is asymmetrical, and the spindle is truncated at one side, where the microtubules converge towards an amorphuos polar structure lying against the spore wall. The cell plate formed after pollen mitosis is hemispherical, and its curved growth is related to a radial spread of the microtubules of the phragmoplast after the telophase of the division. The plate itself, and the wall derived from it, is identifiable as callose by its fluorescence properties. In the later development of the gametophyte, growth of the callose wall continues until the originally hemispherical generative cell becomes separated from the spore wall. The cell then assumes a spherical shape and moves to the vicinity of the vegetative nucleus, where it remains freely suspended, bathed in the cytoplasm of the vegetative cell but insulated from it by the completely ensheathing callose wall.
Current practice patterns for management of vulvodynia in the United States

To evaluate the current practice patterns for the management of vulvodynia in the United States (US) and to estimate healthcare costs related to this condition. Truven MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters databases for years 2009–2013 were utilized for analysis. The study cohort included women, 18 years or older, with a diagnosis of vulvodynia (ICD-9 625.70), who had been continuously enrolled for 360 days from the date of diagnosis. Measures included the most common prescriptions, primary procedures, associated diagnoses, as well as net healthcare costs. Statistical Analysis Software 9.3 was used for statistical analysis. Among 24,122 subjects with vulvodynia, 12,584 met enrollment criteria. Mean age was 41.0 ± 12.9 years. Vulvar biopsy (29.6%), urinalysis (27.8%), urine culture (27.5%) and wet mount for infectious agents (25.5%) were commonly performed primary procedures. The most common prescriptions were antidepressants (32.4%), followed by opiates (27.6%), antifungals (26.1%), and steroidal agents (22.7%). Vulvodynia was frequently associated with vulvovaginitis (32.0%), urinary tract infection (20.6%), and chronic fatigue (18.6%). The mean net cost per patient including pharmacy claims during the follow-up period was $9591.80 (SD $14,595.52; 95% CI $9333.45–$9850.13). Our findings confirm great variation in the current management of vulvodynia. The variety of treatment approaches is a reflection of the poor current understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of vulvodynia. Further research is needed to determine which treatments are most effective in the management of each subtype of vulvodynia.
Severe acute oxidant exposure: morphological damage and aerobic metabolism in the lung.

Groups of male rats were exposed to acute doses of oxygen, ozone, or paraquat which produced equivalent mortality (25-30%) over a 28 day post-exposure period. Quantitative evaluation of morphological changes indicated the primary response to be edema and inflammation with only slight fibrosis being apparent by the end of the observation period. Aerobic pulmonary metabolism was inhibited in lungs from animals exposed to oxygen and ozone as evidenced by decreased oxygen consumption; however, this was transient and O/sub 2/ consumption returned to normal within 24 hours after removal from the exposure chamber. Conversely, treatment with paraquat caused an immediate, transient stimulation of O/sub 2/ consumption. Glucose metabolism was unaltered by the gas exposures and, as previously reported, was initially stimulated by paraquat treatment. In vitro, only paraquat altered both O/sub 2/ consumption and glucose metabolism when added to lung slice preparations; ozone had no effect. Oxygen did not alter O/sub 2/ consumption but caused a slight biphasic response in glucose metabolism. Aerobic metabolism is relatively unchanged by these doses of oxygen and ozone which result in the death of 25-30% of all treated animals. Even though paraquat produces similar morphologic changes, it may represent a more severe metabolic insult thanmore » ''equivalent'' doses of oxygen or ozone. Also, if interstitial pulmonary fibrosis is a desired result of experimental exposure, rats may not be a suitable model for oxidant induced lung injury.« less
Neural signatures of dynamic stimulus selection in Drosophila

Many animals orient using visual cues, but how a single cue is selected from among many is poorly understood. Here we show that Drosophila ring neurons-central brain neurons implicated in navigation-display visual stimulus selection. Using in vivo two-color two-photon imaging with genetically encoded calcium indicators, we demonstrate that individual ring neurons inherit simple-cell-like receptive fields from their upstream partners. Stimuli in the contralateral visual field suppressed responses to ipsilateral stimuli in both populations. Suppression strength depended on when and where the contralateral stimulus was presented, an effect stronger in ring neurons than in their upstream inputs. This history-dependent effect on the temporal structure of visual responses, which was well modeled by a simple biphasic filter, may determine how visual references are selected for the fly's internal compass. Our approach highlights how two-color calcium imaging can help identify and localize the origins of sensory transformations across synaptically connected neural populations.
The Role of Technology and Commerce in Spiritual Growth

The author presents the role of nature in our knowledge and love of God in the Greek Fathers and one major medieval theologian, Hugh of St. Victor. There is a very rich literature on the contemplative use of nature but a lesser known one that is an active spirituality. It focuses on technology and commerce and how their improvement is part of our restoration from the Fall. It thus connects earthly pursuits to religious motives and goals. It is non-Aristotelian, free of an anti-intellectual prejudice toward the mechanical arts and commerce. It distinguishes between the proper aim and the misuse of technology and commerce. The loss of this tradition was so complete that Francis Bacon is still regarded by most people as the origin of the notion that science and technology are part of our spiritual restoration after the Fall.
Breast Embryology, Anatomy, and Physiology

Fetal mammary gland development is not dependent on steroid hormones until beyond the 15th gestational week when breast structure development takes place. In the last weeks of gestation, the fetal breast is responsive to maternal steroid hormones, which are manifested in the neonatal period by the secretion of colostrum and palpable enlargement of the breast bud. This unilateral or bilateral breast enlargement and secretion of opaque fluid occurs in about 60% of normal newborns. However, both these findings resolve spontaneously during the first or second month after birth due to disappearance of maternal hormones from the infant’s bloodstream and do not require treatment. It can occur in both male and female infants. The development of the alveoli and their surrounding supportive framework remains quiescent until puberty once the perinatal influence of maternal hormones subsides. During childhood, breast tissue is dormant and mainly composed of ducts lined with epithelium and surrounded by connective tissue. Before breast development is completed, surgery around the breast bud in young girls must be avoided or exercised with great care to prevent injury and potential growth disturbance.
Application of Projection Moiré in Electronic Packaging and Assembly for Post-Surface Mount Warpage Measurements

Geometric moire techniques, such as shadow and projection moire, are useful for quantifying the out-of-plane displacement, or warpage, of electronic packaging components at elevated temperature. While shadow moire is widely used for measuring the warpage of ball grid array (BGA) packages and bare printed circuit boards (PCB’s) with high accuracy and resolution, it is restricted by the need for a glass reference grating within close proximity to the sample. This prevents the capability from measuring surfaces varying largely in height, thus limiting the scope of study for deformations induced through the various stages of the electronic packaging, assembly and surface mount process. Projection moire uses virtual gratings of various sizes, making it an ideal technique for investigating large field depths and boards populated with components.
In situ Mechanical Testing of Contacts Between Nanoscale Bodies: Measuring the Load-dependence of Contact Area.

Mechanical tests were performed on a silicon/diamond nanocontact. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and matched atomistic simulations, the contact area was measured during loading and unloading. The results agreed within uncertainty, and both experiment and simulation data showed significant hysteresis. While the unloading curves could be fit to a continuum model, yielding a realistic value for elastic modulus, this model overpredicted the contact area upon loading by an average of 40%. The implications of these results for real-world nanoscale contacts are that the contact area upon loading can deviate significantly from continuum predictions, even when the behavior upon unloading is well described by these models.
Insights into Water-Induced Phase Separation in Itraconazole–Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose Spin Coated and Spray Dried Dispersions

For amorphous solid dispersions, understanding the phase behavior of a given drug-polymer blend and factors that influence miscibility is crucial to designing an optimally performing formulation. However, it can be challenging to fully map the phase behavior of some systems, especially those produced using a cosolvent system. In this study, a comprehensive investigation of phase separation in itraconazole-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (ITZ-HPMC) blends fabricated using solvent evaporation processes, including spin coating and spray drying, has been carried out. Phase separation was found to be driven by the presence of water, either acquired from the environment or from the solvent system. ITZ nanospecies were observed during the solvent evaporation process prior to solidification. The use of high resolution imaging techniques such as transmission electron microscopy including bright field and high angle annular dark field imaging, enabled detailed characterization of the microstructure of phase separated systems. Spectroscopic investigations suggested that drug domains contain supramolecular drug aggregates in which the nematic assembly of ITZ molecules results in the coupling of the optical transitions of ITZ monomers. Importantly, a similar pattern of behavior between drug-polymer phase in spin coated and spray dried dispersions was observed. The presence of as little as 1% water in the solvent was found to induce phase separation in the spray dried particles, which was detected using the unique photophysical properties of ITZ and fluorescence spectroscopy. The study highlights the complexity of drug-polymer phase behavior and the influence of solvent properties.
Safety of direct oral anticoagulants vs warfarin in patients with chronic liver disease and atrial fibrillation.

Background A complication of chronic liver disease (CLD) is the abnormality of coagulation. In clinical practice, this increased risk of bleeding has not been identified as a protective factor against stroke or systemic embolism associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of this study was to assess the safety of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents vs warfarin in CLD patients with AF. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with CLD and AF initiated on oral anticoagulants. Rates of all-cause bleeding were compared between warfarin and DOAC agents. Secondary endpoints included rates of major bleeding and other risk factors for bleeding on anticoagulant therapy. Results The all-cause bleeding rates were similar between the groups, with 8.4% per year in the DOAC (n = 75) group and 8.8% in warfarin (n = 158) group (HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.4-1.8). No significant difference was noted in the rate of major bleeding. In the multivariable model, higher MELD-XI score and previous bleed were risk factors associated with increased bleeding. Conclusion No significant differences in bleeding rates were noted in patients treated with warfarin and DOAC agents. Further studies evaluating DOAC agents are needed to better understand the optimal anticoagulation strategy in setting of CLD.
Hyperfunding: Regulating Financial Innovation

Innovations in corporate finance are driven by frustrations with present regulations and fueled by the Internet and social media. Hyperfunding is one such example: Tesla paved the way for an electric vehicle revolution by pre-selling hundreds of thousands of its Model 3 EV direct to consumers. Unwary consumers may not have realized that they were underwriting Tesla's bold strategy to transform multiple product markets. Risks were not disclosed. Rewards proved illusory. Investors would have been entitled to disclosures and colorable claims of fraud when Tesla missed milestones and deadlines. But consumers can only get their $1000 deposit back, without interest, if Tesla has the financial and reputational capital to refund consumers. What happens when an undercapitalized or fraudulent firm uses the same technique and fails to deliver? Are cryptocurrency promoters and "initial coin offerings" already Hyperfunding, pumping, and dumping vaporware? This article explores challenges with regulating novel techniques in corporate finance and discusses an initial framework for protecting investors while allowing innovation.
Comparison of Goldmann Tonometry Measurements Using Creamer vs Fluorescein in Cynomolgus Monkeys

Fluorescein cannot be used to measure intraocular pressure (IOP) repeatedly at short intervals, or during fluorophotometric determination of aqueous flow. Therefore, we compared minified Goldmann tonometer measurements of IOP obtained using commercial fluorescein vs dairy or non-dairy creamer to highlight the mires. In ocular normotensive monkeys, measurements using fluorescein averaged 1.94±0.49 mmHg higher than with creamer (p<0.001), and fluorescein- vs creamer- measured IOP ratios averaged 1.17±0.05 (p<0.005). However, when IOP was manometrically controlled from 15-60 mmHg, the mean difference between fluorescein and creamer readings was only 0.49 ± 0.94 mmHg and the fluorescein/creamer IOP ratio averaged 1.01 ± 0.032. This essential identity held from 15-60 mmHg IOP, the difference increasing by only 0.013±0.055 mmHg/ mmHg manometric pressure. Coffee creamer is an alternative to fluorescein to measure IOP.
Antibody responses toward the major antigenic sites of influenza B virus hemagglutinin in mice, ferrets, and humans.

The influenza B virus hemagglutinin contains four major antigenic sites (the 120 loop, the 150 loop, the 160 loop, and the 190 helix) within the head domain. These immunodominant antigenic sites are the main targets of neutralizing antibodies and are subject to antigenic drift. Yet little is known about the specific antibody responses toward each site in terms of antibody prevalence and hemagglutination inhibition activity. In this study, we used modified hemagglutinins of influenza B virus which display only one or none of the major antigenic sites to measure antibody responses toward the classical as well as the noncanonical epitopes in mice, ferrets, and humans. With our novel reagents, we found that both hemagglutination inhibition antibodies and total IgGs were mostly induced by the major antigenic sites. However, in human adults, we observed high hemagglutination inhibition antibody responses toward the noncanonical epitopes. By stratifying the human samples into age groups, we found that the noncanonical antibody responses appeared to increase with age.IMPORTANCE This study dissected the specific antibody responses toward the major antigenic sites and the noncanonical epitopes of influenza B virus hemagglutinin in animals and humans using novel reagents. These findings will guide the design of the next generation of influenza virus vaccines.
Preoperative left atrial volume index is associated with postoperative outcomes in mitral valve repair for chronic mitral regurgitation.

Abstract Objective To assess determinants of left atrial reverse remodeling after mitral valve repair and to evaluate the impact of preoperative left atrial volume on postoperative outcomes. Methods We reviewed the records of 720 patients who underwent mitral valve repair from September 2008 to July 2015 and had preoperative measurement of left atrial volume index. We analyzed the association of preoperative left atrial volume index on early and late outcomes, and determined which baseline characteristics are associated with left atrial reverse remodeling, as measured by changes in left atrial volume index in 512 patients who had at least 1 postoperative measurement. Results The median (interquartile range) preoperative left atrial volume index was 54.0 (44.0-66.0) mL/m2. Preoperative left atrial volume index, age, body mass index, and atrial fibrillation were independently associated with the degree of left atrial reverse remodeling over the follow-up period. Reverse remodeling was greatest in patients with higher baseline left atrial volume index (P Conclusions In patients with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation who had mitral valve repair, preoperative left atrial volume index was associated with extent of left atrial reverse remodeling, risk of early postoperative atrial fibrillation, and late mortality. The majority of reverse remodeling occurs within the first month after operation and is greatest in younger patients.
The Emergence of Pathogen Genomics in Diagnostic Laboratories

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies enable one to obtain genomic information about pathogens directly from clinical samples or isolates on a scale never before possible with polymerase chain reaction or Sanger sequencing. Clinical microbiology laboratories are rapidly finding the "low-hanging fruit"-type applications for this disruptive technology as it becomes affordable with reasonable turn-around times. This includes the use of metagenomic NGS for pathogen detection in primary clinical samples. It also includes the use of NGS for detection of antimicrobial resistance genes in bacteria that are difficult and/or slow to grow in culture. Finally, NGS offers improvement in resolution of viral and bacterial outbreaks and streamlines workflows for a "one-size-fits-all" protocol. There are still significant barriers to implementation that must be considered. This includes workforce skills required for high complexity wet bench protocols and data analysis as well as validation approaches for interpretation given the lack of FDA approved systems. Regardless, NGS will continue to be a game-changer in clinical microbiology and laboratories must be prepared to face the challenges associated with adoption of this technology.
Data Activism and Social Change

Miren Gutierrez. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. xiii and 176 pp., figures, tables, glossary, bibliography, index. $54.99 cloth (ISBN 978-3-319-78318-5); $39.99 electronic (ISBN 978-3-...
Resource Utilization for Patients With Distal Radius Fractures in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Importance Improvement of clinician understanding of acceptable deformity in pediatric distal radius fractures is needed. Objective To assess how often children younger than 10 years undergo a potentially unnecessary closed reduction using procedural sedation in the emergency department for distal radial metaphyseal fracture and the associated cost implications for these reduction procedures. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cross-sectional study included 258 consecutive children younger than 10 years who presented to a single, level I, pediatric emergency department and who had a distal radius fracture with or without ulna involvement between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017. Reductions were deemed to be potentially unnecessary if the coronal and sagittal plane angulation of the radius bone measured less than 20° and shortening measured less than 1 cm on initial injury radiographs. Use of procedural sedation or transfer status to another facility was noted if present. Statistical analysis was performed from April 2019 to June 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Potentially unnecessary reduction was the primary outcome. Radiographic findings were measured to determine reduction necessity. Additional variables measured were age, sex, time in the emergency department, transfer status, required reduction procedure, use of sedation, and cost associated with care. Results Of the 258 participants studied, 156 (60%) were male, with a mean (SD) age of 6.7 (2.3) years. Among 142 patients (55%) who underwent closed reduction with procedural sedation in the emergency department, 38 (27%) procedures were determined to be potentially unnecessary. Review ofCommon Procedural Terminologycharges revealed an approximately $7000 difference between the stated cost of a reduction procedure in the emergency department vs a cast application in an outpatient orthopedic clinic for distal radial metaphyseal fractures. The mean (SD) maximal angulation in either plane for fractures that underwent appropriate reduction was 30.6° (10.3°) compared with 13.9° (4.5°) for those unnecessarily reduced (P Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that improved awareness of these acceptable deformities in young children may be associated with limiting the number of children requiring reduction with sedation, improving emergency department efficiency, and substantially reducing health care costs.
Functional brain mapping in preschool-age children with high density diffuse optical tomography (Conference Presentation)

High density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) combines logistical advantages of fNIRS with enhanced image quality, validated extensively against fMRI in adults and neonates. However, HD-DOT is yet to be evaluated in preschool-age children. Here we present an HD-DOT system optimized for preschoolers, including a 128-source by 125-detector console, light-weight fiber optics, and an expanded field-of-view. We validated the system by mapping cortical activations during visual, auditory, and motor tasks in adults. We then imaged children while they watched movies, finding reproducible patterns of brain activity and showing that feature regressors can map functionally specific regions from movie-viewing data in preschoolers.
Multipoint contact without forbearance? How coverage synergies shape equity analysts' forecasting performance

Research Summary: Scholars regularly use multipoint contact (MPC) to explain how encountering rivals in different domains shapes performance. While most explanations rely on mutual forbearance theory, I propose that competitive deterrence does not adequately explain how MPC shapes performance in knowledge intensive work and argue instead that cross‐domain synergies may play a central role. I examine how security analysts' MPC with publicly traded firms captures synergies in their coverage portfolio, which improves forecasting accuracy and information leadership. The advantages of greater MPC for a focal analyst are counterbalanced by rivals' observational learning, which reduces the focal analyst's forecasting differentiation. A natural experiment helps corroborate my argument: rival analysts' forecasting accuracy dropped for firms in which high MPC analysts perished in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Managerial Summary: Competition in the knowledge economy often unfolds across multiple domains including product markets, geographic locations, and customer segments. In these settings, an actor's level of multipoint contact (MPC) in a domain captures the knowledge and other synergies available to the focal actor, which can improve performance in the domain. In the equity research setting, an analyst's MPC on a focal firm captures the likelihood that the analyst also covers that firm's suppliers, customers and important competitors. Using data on analysts' forecasting performance between 2001 and 2013, I find that greater levels of MPC on a focal firm predicts greater forecasting accuracy and information leadership but also lowers forecasting differentiation by attracting rivals who observe and benefit from the focal analyst's knowledge.
Multidisciplinary Human Trafficking Education: Inpatient and Outpatient Healthcare Settings

Background: While it is common for trafficked persons (TPs) to access healthcare, few health professionals have had training and lack confidence in their ability to respond effectively. Additional...
Penile autoamputation with successful reimplant a case report and new preoperatory mnemonic classification system: P.E.N.I.S.

Abstract Genital self-mutilation is a rare condition. Psychiatric disease and accidents are the most common causes. We a case of genital amputation connected to religious delusions known as Klingsor Syndrome. Due to the scarcity of cases, each author describes the amputation injuries ununiformly, making the comparison of the cases difficult. We propose an anatomical pre-operatory score: The P.E.N.I.S.* score, it is an innovative pre-operative 5-grade score that aims to standardize the injury classification. Penile self-amputations are rare; medical literature lacks standardized classification that permits comparison between cases described. The P.E.N.I.S. score can be a helpful tool to fill this current gap.
Human apolipoprotein E2 promotes parenchymal amyloid deposition and neuronal loss in vasculotropic mutant amyloid-β protein Tg-SwDI mice.

Human apolipoprotein (ApoE) genotype influences the development of Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), where the e4 allele increases and the e2 allele decreases the risk for developing disease. Specific mutations within the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide have been identified that cause familial forms of CAA. However, the influence of APOE genotype on accumulation of CAA mutant Aβ in brain is not well understood. Earlier, we showed that human ApoE4 redistributes fibrillar amyloid deposition from the cerebral microvasculature to parenchymal plaques in Tg-SwDI mice, a model that accumulates human Dutch/Iowa (E22Q/D23N) CAA mutant Aβ in brain (Xu et al., J Neurosci 28, 5312-5320, 2008). Human ApoE2 can reduce Aβ pathology in transgenic models of parenchymal plaques. Here we determined if human ApoE2 can influence the location and severity of amyloid pathology in Tg-SwDI mice. Comparing Tg-SwDI mice bred onto a human APOE2/2 or human APOE4/4 background, we found there was no change in the brain levels of total Aβ(40) and Aβ(42) compared to mice on the endogenous mouse APOE background. In Tg-SwDI mice on either human APOE background, there was a similarly strong reduction in the levels of microvascular CAA and emergence of extensive parenchymal plaque amyloid. In both Tg-SwDI-hAPOE2/2 and Tg-SwDI-hAPOE4/4 mice, the distribution of ApoE proteins and neuronal loss were associated with parenchymal amyloid plaques. These findings suggest that compared with human ApoE4, human ApoE2 does not beneficially influence the quantitative or spatial accumulation of human Dutch/Iowa CAA mutant amyloid or associated pathology in transgenic mice.
Identification of proteins that associate with protein kinase CK2

In order to aid in an understanding of the cellular functions of protein kinase CK2, a search for interacting proteins was carried out using a 32P-labeled CK2 overlay method. Several proteins were found to associate with CK2 by this assay; among them, one protein of 110 kDa appeared to be the most prominent one. The possible association of CK2 with p110 was suggested by experiments involving the co-immunoprecipitation using anti-CK2 antibodies. Further analysis using GST-CK2 fusion proteins demonstrated that the CK2-p110 interaction occurred through the CK2α/α′ subunits. To identify p110, it was purified using a GST-CK2 affinity column, and internal amino acid sequencing was then performed, p110 was found to be nucleolin, a nucleolar protein that may be important for rRNA synthesis; a possible role of CK2 in the control of this process is suggested. Using the same CK2 overlay technique, another interacting protein, insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), was also identified. By applying a modified overlay method using individual 35S-labeled CK2 subunits, obtained by in vitro translation in rabbit reticulate lysates, it was determined that CK2 associates with IRS-1 through its α/α′ subunits; i.e. in keeping with the fact that 1RS-1 is a known substrate for CK2. However, further work is needed to examine the association of CK2 with IRS-1 in vivo in order to fully understand the significance of the interaction. (Mol Cell Biochem 191: 223–228, 1999)
NOS knockouts and neuroprotection.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is known to be involved in the dopaminergic neurodegeneration that occurs in the MPTP model of Parkinson disease. Recent studies indicate that different isoforms of NOS may act synergistically to cause neuronal injury in Parkinson disease and other neurodegenerative diseases ( 1403–1409 ).
Geometric elasticity for graphics, simulation, and computation

We develop new algorithms which combine the rigorous theory of mathematical elasticity with the geometric underpinnings and computational attractiveness of modern tools in geometry processing. We develop a simple elastic energy based on the Biot strain measure, which improves on state-of-the-art methods in geometry processing. We use this energy within a constrained optimization problem to, for the first time, provide surface parameterization tools which guarantee injectivity and bounded distortion, are user-directable, and which scale to large meshes. With the help of some new generalizations in the computation of matrix functions and their derivative, we extend our methods to a large class of hyperelastic stored energy functions quadratic in piecewise analytic strain measures, including the Hencky (logarithmic) strain, opening up a wide range of possibilities for robust and efficient nonlinear elastic simulation and geometry processing by elastic analogy.
Secure optical storage that uses fully phase encryption

A secure holographic memory system that uses fully phase encryption is presented. Two-dimensional arrays of data are phase encoded. Each array is then transformed into a stationary white-noise-like pattern by use of a random-phase mask located at the input plane and another at the Fourier plane. This encrypted information is then stored holographically in a photorefractive LiNbO3:Fe crystal. The original phase-encoded data can be recovered, by use of the two random-phase masks, with a phase-conjugate readout beam. This phase information can then be converted back to intensity information with an interferometer. Recording multiple images by use of angular multiplexing is demonstrated. The influence of a limited system bandwidth on the quality of reconstructed data is evaluated numerically. These computer simulation results show that a fully phase-based encryption system generally performs better than an amplitude-based encryption system when the system bandwidth is limited by a moderate amount.
Antigen-liposome modification of target cells as a method to alter their susceptibility to lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Abstract A method of liposome modification of cell surfaces to render unsuitable target cells susceptible to lysis by anti-viral cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is described. Liposomes containing the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) glycoproteins of Sendai virus as well as purified H-2Kk cells and rendering those cells susceptible to lysis by B10. A anti-Sendai virus or anti-H-2Kk CTLs. The absence from the modifying liposomes of the HN or F proteins or H-2Kk antigens eliminated the ability of the target cells to be recognized and lysed by either effector cell population. Vesicles containing HN, H-2Kk molecules, and inactive fusion protein (Fo) were not capable of increasing the susceptibility of h-2-negative target cells to lysis. Liposomes containing inactive fusion protein were similarly unable to render H-2-positive target cells susceptible to lysis by anti-Sendai virus CTLs, suggesting that fusion of the liposomes to the cell surface is a prerequisite to lysis. It did not appear that attachement of liposomes to the cell surface was sufficient for generation of susceptible targets, however, because attachment to the cell surface was observed, as long as the HN glycoprotein was present in the liposomes. These results indicate that purified H-2Kk glycoproteins are target antigens for anti-H-2k CTLs and that B10 . A anti-Sendai virus CTLs recognize in an H-2-restricted manner the HN, F, or both glycoproteins of Sendai virus in the context of the purified H-2Kk glycoproteins. This technique of liposome modification of cell surfaces has potential applications in the examination of CTL antigen recognition and immunotherapy of many viral and neoplastic diseases.
Context and tone conditioning are selectively impaired by ethanol in the preweanling rat: Effects of dose and time of administration

Depending on dose and task requirements, ethanol can have either a facilitative or an impairing influence on learning. Some explanations for this dichotomy have considered ethanol's suppression of behavioral variability and processing of incidental stimuli (e.g., context). The present study examined the effect of ethanol on context and conditioned stimulus (CS) learning in the preweanling rat. To assess state-dependent effects, a drug dissociation design was used. Learning to both context and CS were analyzed within each dose of ethanol (0, 1.2, 1.6, or 2.0 g/kg) and a trend analysis was conducted to determine dose-response relationships as a function of train-test state. The 1.2 g/kg dose of ethanol did not affect conditioning to either the context or the CS. A 1.6 g/kg dose tended to disrupt context, but not CS, conditioning. The influence of 2.0 g/kg ethanol depended on train-test conditions. Ethanol administration prior to training resulted in the stronger impairment of CS learning while context conditioning was most disrupted if ethanol was given only prior to testing. The results suggest that ethanol selectively attenuates processing of stimuli, possibly dependent on relative saliency at the time of testing.