cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin of intrinsic 310‐helix versus strand stability in homopolypeptides and its implications for the accuracy of the Amber force field

Current all-atom force fields often fail to recognize the native structure of a protein as the lowest free energy minimum. One possible cause could be the mathematical form of the potential based on the assumption that the conformation of a residue is independent of its neighbors. Here, using quantum mechanical (QM) methods (MP2/6-31g**//HF/6-31g** and MP2/cc-pVDZ//cc-pVDZ//HF/cc-pVDZ), the intrinsic correctness of the gas phase terms (without solvation) of the Amber ff03 and ff99 potentials are examined by testing their ability to reproduce the relative 310-helix versus extended structure stabilities in the gas phase for 1-7-residue alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine homopolypeptides. The 310-helix versus extended state stability strongly depends on chain length and less on the amino acid identity. The helical conformation becomes lower in energy than the extended conformation for all tested peptides longer than two residues, and its stability increases with the increase of chain length. The ff03 potential better describes the 310-helix versus extended state energy than ff99 and also reproduces the curvature of the relative helix-extended state energies. Therefore, the mathematical form of the Amber potential is sufficient to describe the local effect of 310-helix versus extended structure stabilization in the gas phase. However, the energy curves are shifted and the backbone geometries differ compared with the QM results. This may cause significant geometric discrepancies between native and predicted structures. Therefore, extant molecular mechanics force fields, such as Amber, need refinement of their parameters to correctly describe helix-extended state energetics and geome- try of major conformations.
Oral cavity reconstruction with simutaneous free and pedicled composite flaps

Single sources of tissue harvested from 1 donor site may not be suitable for reconstruction of complex 3-dimensional soft tissue defects resulting from excision of advanced oral cavity tumors. We find concurrent transfer of composite soft-tissue free flaps and modified (myofascial, island) pedicled flaps an effective means to repair sizeable soft tissue deficits of the head and neck. In this article, we discuss our rationale for simultaneously transferring a free flap and a pedicled flap as functional reconstructive units to achieve successful intraoral reconstruction.
Symbolic recognition: Ceremony in a treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder

This brief report describes the utilization of a “welcome home” ceremony in the treatment of Vietnam War and other war veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Designed primarily to address the issues of sanctuary trauma and social isolation and alienation, the ceremony drew upon knowledge gained from the study of Native American ritual. Carefully avoiding mimicking such ritual, the principles of affirmation of the worth of the warrior, societal participation and reintegration, and spiritual and existential support were translated into a mainstream cultural format. The significance of a woman leading the ceremony and veteran reactions are discussed.
Fabrication of adhesive coated swabs for improved swipe-based particle collection efficiency

Improving particle collection efficiency for swipe-based sampling systems can provide a better chance of detection when screening for trace explosives or narcotics particles. A technique was developed to improve the particle collection efficiency of commercially-available collection swabs used for field sampling of trace contraband materials. A silicone adhesive was added to Teflon-coated fiberglass swabs to aid in collecting trace levels of contamination from surfaces. Since the swabs are typically used for ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) analysis, it is important for them to produce no chemical background when heated. Results show that the adhesive swabs had a higher particle collection efficiency compared to the untreated swabs by a factor of 12, without negatively interfering with the IMS analysis. It was also found that the adhesive swabs could be reused 10 times without significant reduction in collection efficiency. While it is possible that the adhesive swabs may not be suitable for all surface types due to loss of adhesive material after multiple uses, the benefits of higher particle collection efficiency are extremely promising.
Design and fabrication of an electromagnetically actuated optical switch with precise tilt angle control

An electromagnetically actuated MEMS mirror with precise tilt angle control for a bi-state optical switch is reported. A tilt angle control of ± 2.29° is achieved by utilizing the 4 μm BOX layer thickness of an SOI wafer together with carefully controlled backside deep silicon etching to construct precise mechanical stoppers. The device is die level packaged with a KOH etched textured silicon encapsulation to prevent scattering reflection from the back cavity to promote high contrast. Measurement results of tilt angle versus applied magnetic field correspond well with theoretical model prediction. The designed device is suitable for optical telecommunication in harsh environments that do not permit any electrical sparks.
Fibrin fragment D-dimer and fibrinogen B beta peptides in plasma as markers of clot lysis during thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction.

The validity of markers in plasma of in vitro thrombolysis was investigated in 12 patients with extensive fibrinogen breakdown (greater than 80%, group 1) and in 12 patients with minimal breakdown (less than 20%, group 2). The patients were treated with 100 mg of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in the “Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction II” (TIMI II) trial. Cross- linked fibrin degradation product levels were measured with two variant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), both using a fibrin fragment D-dimer specific capture antibody. In one instance, a tag antibody was used that cross-reacts with fibrinogen (pan-specific tag ELISA); in the other, the tag antibody was specific for fibrin fragment D (fibrin-specific tag ELISA). Apparent concentrations of cross-linked fibrin degradation products at baseline were within normal limits with both assays in most patients. At 8 hours after rt-PA infusion, the measured cross-linked fibrin degradation products were increased about twofold to fourfold in group 2 with both assays. However, in group 1, levels were significantly higher with the pan-specific tag ELISA (5.8 +/- 4.2 micrograms/mL) compared with the fibrin-specific tag ELISA (1.5 +/- 1.3 micrograms/mL). This observation was most likely a result of detection of fibrinogen degradation products in the pan-specific ELISA. Apparent levels of fibrinopeptide B beta 1–42, a marker of fragment X formation, increased during thrombolysis from 4.2 +/- 2.8 pmol/mL to 2,000 +/- 230 pmol/mL in group 1 and from 4.1 +/- 2.1 pmol/mL to 300 +/- 43 pmol/mL in group 2, and were correlated significantly with the extent of fibrinogen breakdown (r = -0.8). Fibrinopeptide beta 15–42 levels increased from 4.3 +/- 3 pmol/mL to 70 +/- 19 pmol/mL in group 1, but did not increase in group 2. The apparent increase in group 1 could be explained by cross-reactivity of fibrinopeptide B beta 1–42 in the fibrinopeptide beta 15–42 assay. We conclude that cross-linked fibrin degradation product levels as measured with a pan-specific tag ELISA and fibrinopeptide beta 15–42 levels as measured with certain monoclonal antibody-based ELISA are influenced by the extent of fibrinogen degradation. Fibrinopeptide B beta 1–42 is a marker specific for fibrinogen breakdown. Cross-linked fibrin degradation product levels, measured with a fibrin-specific tag ELISA, appear to be markers specific for thrombolysis. Consequently, assays similar to the fibrin- specific tag ELISA may provide more accurate information when correlated with clinical endpoints.
Predictors of intellectual performance in adults with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy

The relationships of medical, developmental, social, and familial variables to intellectual performances (IQ scores) were assessed in a sample of 242 adult patients with intractable lateralized temporal lobe epilepsy. Lower IQ scores were associated with low patient and parent education. In addition to the significant contributions of nonneurological social and familial factors to IQ, early age at onset of regular seizures and presence of primary neurological dysfunction in the left cerebral hemisphere were also both independently related to lower IQ. The obtained results suggest that the occurrence of regular seizures during a critical period in early childhood neural maturation poses the greatest risk to cognitive development in the epilepsy population. Total duration of seizures, history of severe convulsive episodes, and the occurrence of another nonepileptic neurological problem in early childhood do not contribute significantly to delayed cognitive development. (JINS, 1997, 3, 252–259.)
Response of rat selenoprotein P to selenium administration and fate of its selenium

Selenoprotein P is a glycoprotein that contains greater than 60% of the selenium in rat plasma. Physiological experiments were undertaken to gain insight into selenoprotein P function. Selenium-deficient rats were injected with doses of selenium ranging from 25 to 200 micrograms/kg, and the appearance of selenoprotein P was compared with the appearance of glutathione peroxidase activity in plasma and in liver. Selenoprotein P concentration increased to 35% of control by 6 h, whereas glutathione peroxidase activity increased minimally or not at all. Moreover, in rats given 100 and 200 micrograms selenium/kg, selenoprotein P reached 75% of its concentration in control rats at 24 h, whereas glutathione peroxidase activity reached only 6% of control. Cycloheximide pretreatment blocked the appearance of selenoprotein P in response to selenium injection. Male and female rats had similar concentrations of selenoprotein P. Partially purified selenoprotein P and plasma glutathione peroxidase labeled with 75Se were administered intravenously to selenium-deficient and control rats. 75Se given as selenoprotein P disappeared more rapidly from plasma than did 75Se given as glutathione peroxidase. Selenium deficiency did not significantly affect 75Se disappearance from plasma. At 2 h, brain, but not other tissues, took up more 75Se in selenium-deficient rats than in control rats when 75Se was given as selenoprotein P. This suggests that brain has a specific uptake mechanism for selenium given in the form of selenoprotein P. These results demonstrate that several physiological properties distinguish selenoprotein P from glutathione peroxidase. However, they do not clearly indicate its function.
You Really “Oughta” Get This

A 20-year-old female with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus and idiopathic (immune) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), who received intravenous Rh immune globulin (RhIg) 1 year ago for treatment of ITP and has no prior history of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion or pregnancy, is found to have a hematocrit (Hct) level of 15 %. The patient was referred to the emergency department by her primary care physician for stat RBC transfusion of two units. A type and crossmatch sample (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA anticoagulant) is submitted to the blood bank.
P112 : COMBATING CROSS-REACTIVITY IN HLA-B27 DETECTION BY FLOW CYTOMETRY

Aim Presence of HLA-B27 (associated with ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and Reiter’s syndrome) on leukocytes in whole blood can be detected with monoclonal antibodies by a rapid qualitative two-color direct immunofluorescence flow cytometric method. In this method cross-reacting glycoproteins can provide a positive result; thus, some samples need to be confirmed by an alternate test method. We present an overview of our reagent quality control as well as observations requiring modification to the laboratory process. Methods Whole blood samples are tested with monoclonal antibody GS145.2 [Becton, Dickinson and Company Biosciences (BD), San Jose] as per the manufacturer’s suggested protocol acquired on FACS Calibur (BD) utilizing the manufacturer provided template. Results are displayed as mean channel shift and reported as HLA-B27 negative or positive sample based on the kit decision marker. The kit package insert references a study in which some cross-reactive samples fell within a ten-channel zone above the decision marker. Results that fall within this zone should be confirmed by an alternate method. It is our protocol to utilize a molecular method to confirm this zone above the decision marker as well as below (±10). For reagent quality control it is our practice to select two negative, two ±10, and two positive from the current lot and then re-test with the new lot. The HLA typing for these samples is confirmed using a molecular method. Results Sample 4 for both comparisons was false positive in our test system. QC summary. Sample New lot 1 comparison New lot 2 comparison Current lot MCF decision marker 147 New lot MCF decision marker 150 HLA-B typing Current lot MCF decision marker 150 New lot MCF decision marker 149 HLA-B typing 1 88 81 8.44 104 124 7.8 2 93 84 8.51 72 82 8.35 3 143 156 7.7 157 159 27.65 4 153 161 7.37 150 163 7.42 5 168 173 8.27 163 165 7.27 6 179 185 27.27 162 163 27.35 Conclusions These reagent quality control results caused us to increase the +10 to +15 above the decision marker for a period of time to monitor the findings. Although this change led to more work and expense in the laboratory, it was justified by patient safety. While following the manufacturer’s suggestions are critical, a stringent internal quality control program can identify samples providing discrepant results.
Better allele-level matching improves transplant-related mortality after double cord blood transplantation

Cord blood transplant requires less stringent human leukocyte antigen matching than unrelated donors. In 133 patients with hematologic malignancies who engrafted after double cord blood transplantation with a dominant unit, we studied the effect of high resolution testing at 4 loci (-A, -B, -C, -DRB1) for its impact on 2-year transplant-related mortality. Ten percent of the dominant cord blood units were matched at 7-8/8 alleles using HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1; 25% were matched at 6/8, 40% at 5/8, and 25% at 4/8 or less allele. High resolution typing at 4 loci showed that there was no 2-year transplant-related mortality in 7-8/8 matched patients. Patients with 5-6/8 matched dominant cord blood units had 2-year transplant-related mortality of 39% while patients with 4/8 or less matched units had 60%. Multivariate regression analyses confirmed the independent effect of high resolution typing on the outcome when adjusted for age, diagnosis, CD34(+) cell dose infused, graft manipulation and cord to cord matching. The worst prognostic group included patients aged over 32 years with 4/8 or less matched cord blood units compared with patients who were either younger than 32 years old independent of allele-level matching, or aged over 32 years but with 5-6/8 matched cord blood units (Hazard Ratio 2.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.7; P<0.001). Patients with 7-8/8 matched units remained the group with the best prognosis. Our data suggest that high resolution typing at 4 loci and selecting cord blood units matched at at least 5/8 alleles may reduce transplant-related mortality after double cord blood transplantation.
Evaluation of four cereal grain and three protein level combinations for layer performance.

Abstract CORN is undoubtedly the most commonly used cereal grain as a source of carbohydrate in commercial poultry rations. Several investigators have tested barley, oats, or wheat as substitutes for corn in layer diets, but it is difficult to make valid comparisons because of experimental variables. In some studies the substitutions were made pound for pound rather than on a protein and energy basis. In most of the studies the protein content of the diets ranged from 14 to 20 percent, and usually, only one protein level was used. Also, in the majority of the tests the grain under investigation was fed in combination with other grains and/or their byproducts rather than as the sole grain. When fed as a main grain, in combination with other grains in layer diets, barley was evaluated by Petersen and Lampman (1955) and Brown and Hale (1965); oats by Petersen and Lampman (1955), Gerry (1958) . . .
The Lifespan of a Tax Break: Comparing the Durability of Tax Expenditures and Spending Programs

Scholars have recently begun to recognize the importance of policy durability to the overall shape of public policy. Existing work on policy durability focuses on the political environment rather t...
Cumulant reduced density matrices as measures of statistical dependence and entanglement between electronic quantum domains with application to photosynthetic light harvesting

Recent ultrafast spectroscopy experiments have demonstrated the entanglement of chromophores in photosynthetic light harvesting. Here we apply the cumulant parts of reduced density matrices (RDMs) to measure the statistical dependence and entanglement between electronic quantum domains in light harvesting. Because the cumulant RDMs are invariant to one-electron unitary transformations, they provide a measure of electron correlation and entanglement that is independent of the orbital basis set. Specifically, we apply the cumulant to a three-chromophore subsystem of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex, which has been shown to exhibit similar entanglement as the full system. Time-dependent Frobenius norms of the cumulant $p$-RDMs for $2\ensuremath{\le}p\ensuremath{\le}6$ reveal correlation and entanglement in groupings of $p$ chromophores. The results show that the entanglement of pairs of chromophores is significantly more important than the entanglement in higher groupings of the chromophores. Data from the model are generally consistent with recent findings from ultrafast spectroscopy. Beyond their application to light harvesting, the Frobenius norms of the cumulant RDMs provide a useful measure of statistical dependence, correlation, and entanglement between electronic quantum domains with applications to molecules and materials.
Differential effects of 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist on macrophage activation

Prostaglandin J2 metabolite 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15-PGJ2) appears to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike other prostaglandins, it has no known plasma membrane receptor. Its effects have been thought to occur through activation of the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), but 15-PGJ2 may exhibit effects independent of PPARgamma. We hypothesized that 15-PGJ2 modulates macrophage (Mphi) mediator production by acting on cell signaling proteins upstream of PPARgamma. The effects of 15-PGJ2 on bacterial endotoxin LPS-induced rat peritoneal Mphi mediator production were compared with those of a specific PPARgamma agonist, BRL 49653 (BRL), and to the eicosanoids prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and cicaprost (CICA, a prostacyclin analogue). 15-PGJ2 inhibited LPS-induced production of NO, TNF-alpha, and thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Equimolar concentrations of PGD2 and CICA significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha but not NO, and CICA increased TxB2 production. BRL inhibited LPS-induced NO, but augmented LPS-induced TNF-alpha and TxB2. 15-PGJ2 also inhibited degradation of LPS-induced IkappaB alpha and phosphoactivation of ERK 1/2, but BRL had no significant effect on either protein. The cyclopentenone ring 2-cyclopenten-1-one also inhibited LPS-induced ERK 1/2 activation; however, neither 15-PGJ2 nor the cyclopentenone inhibited PMA-induced ERK 1/2 activation. Inhibition of LPS-stimulated mediator production by 15-PGJ2 differed from inhibition by PGD2, CICA, and BRL. The ability of 15-PGJ2 to inhibit LPS-induced Mphi mediator production and cell signaling may occur in part through reactivity of its cyclopentenone ring.
Gastric adenocarcinoma: the role of Helicobacter pylori in pathogenesis and prevention efforts

Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the world, prompting high-risk countries like South Korea and Japan to establish nationwide screening programmes. Helicobacter pylori is linked to the majority of gastric adenocarcinoma cases and to the vast majority of non-cardia gastric adenocarcinomas. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of 'test-and-treat' programmes for H. pylori infection to prevent gastric cancer in high-risk populations. While this strategy has gained momentum, providers in low-risk developed countries may be unaware of the risk individual patients face, particularly those who have emigrated from high-risk regions and members of economically disadvantaged minority groups. Rapidly evolving science in recent years has made it difficult for clinicians to keep up with the current best practices. This article reviews the epidemiology of H. pylori and gastric cancer, screening and diagnostic tests and the current treatment regimens for clinicians.
Bilateral frosted branch angiitis as the presenting sign of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

“Frosted branch retinal angiitis” is an encompassing term for a rare, typically bilateral diffuse retinal periphlebitis that may occur in a number of varying conditions. To our knowledge, we report the first case of frosted branch angiitis as the presenting sign of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in a 28-year-old woman. This study is a retrospective case report and literature review. Serial fundus photos, fluorescein angiogram, and ocular coherence tomography taken were before and after treatment, showing resolution of diffuse retinal perivascular sheathing and macular edema along with marked improvement in visual acuity 4 months after the treatment with corticosteroids. Frosted branch angiitis can be seen in association with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Prompt recognition and treatment with corticosteroids may result in good visual prognosis, and long-term immunosuppression and additional anticoagulation may be beneficial to prevent recurrence.
Breast cancer imaging

The role of the surgeon in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer continues to evolve as office based diagnostic procedures gain more prominence. This article outlines the basic clinical and technical aspects of mammography and ultrasound. The evaluation and management of several challenging breast problems are discussed.
New Developments in Urothelial Cancer

Overview:Urothelial cancer is among the most chemotherapy-sensitive neoplasms of all the solid tumors. However, for the majority of patients with advanced disease, response durations with conventio...
Buried emanation: the development of seeds for permanent implantation

Abstract Purpose: To chronicle the development of radioactive sources for permanent implantation. Methods and Materials: Review of contemporary literature. Results: The value of ionizing radiation in the treatment of malignancy was appreciated soon after Roentgen's and Becquerel's discoveries. Brachytherapy was developed to treat tumors that were poorly controlled by early X-ray equipment. Sources and techniques for permanent implantation were devised in the first quarter of the 20th century. Conclusions: Long before the creation of artificial isotopes, pioneering physicists and clinicians fashioned seeds from naturally occurring radionuclides and ingenuity.
An Experimental Investigation of Baseball Bat Durability

The service life of a baseball bat is a function of its durability. All wood bats crack, and ash bats exhibit flaking of the barrel due to repeated impacts. In aluminum and composite bats, repeated impacts can cause a change in the material properties, which in turn can lead to dents and microcracks that ultimately coalesce to form macrocracks. A test machine for simulating essentially any field condition for bat/ball impacts has been developed to study bat durability. The system uses an air cannon capable of firing a baseball at speeds up to 180 mph at a stationary bat which is supported in a grip that replicates a player’s hands. This paper will describe the system, present some supporting analysis of the gripping method, and present results of tests from wood and aluminum bats.
Cultural Variation in Response to Strategic Display of Emotions During Negotiations

This research examined how culture influences the effectiveness of the strategic displays of emotions in negotiations.We predicted that in cross-cultural negotiation settings, East Asian negotiators who highly regarded cultural values that are consistent with communicating respect as humility and deference would be more likely to accept an offer from an opposing party who displayed positive as opposed to negative emotion. With a sample of East Asian MBA students, the results of Study 1 confirmed this prediction. Study 2 results replicated this finding with a sample of Hong Kong executive managers and also found they were less likely to accept an offer from a negotiator displaying negative emotion than Israeli executive managers who did not hold humility and deference in such high regard. Implications for strategic display of emotions in cross-cultural settings are discussed.
Two Types of Autonomy Accounts

Philosophers’ intuitions about what constitutes autonomy are largely driven by the exemplars or paradigms that we recognize. There are indefinitely many exemplars, inasmuch as there are relatively private personae that serve as autonomy exemplars such as our parents, third grade teacher, or, for the megalomaniac, oneself. But among Western philosophers there are doubtless some exemplars that are widely shared and broadly influential. Philosophical exemplars include Socrates, Aristotle’s magnanimous man, Kant’s noumenal self that is perfectly attuned to the moral law, Mill’s anti-authoritarian non-conformist, Marx’s manin-society (after the higher form of communism is achieved), Nietzsche’s Zarathustra, and Sartre’s authentic youth who must decide whether to join the French resistance or stay at home for the sake of his mother. Exemplars from outside of philosophy include Antigone, Christ, Faust, Ibsen’s Enemy of the People, Winston Churchill, and even figures from popular culture such as the baseball player Ted Williams, the free spirited flower children of the 1960s, and practically any character that John Wayne ever played.
Digital Identity in Academic Urology: Assessment of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and Opportunity for Improvement

AbstractIntroduction: We describe the digital identity of academic urologists in FPMRS (Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery) by assessing their visible online information.Methods: A Google™ search of SUFU (Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction) board members, past presidents and fellowship directors was completed. Hits on the first page of results were categorized as institutional page, group/society page, ratings site, interview/multimedia, journal article or book, social media, professional profile or another person. Sites were subclassified as physician controllable content or not controllable. Descriptive statistics, comparisons among SUFU roles and site type associations were calculated.Results: First page results contained a median (Q1–Q3) of 11 (10–11) hits with 2 (2–3) institutional pages and 1 (1–2) group/society. Ratings sites were frequent returns, with 4 hits (3–5) in 98% of searches (60). Only 1 (1–1) social media, 1 (1–2) professional prof...
Direct numerical simulation of a high-pressure turbulent reacting temporal mixing layer

Direct Numerical Simulation realizations were created of a temporal mixing layer in which combustion occurs under high-pressure (high-p) turbulent conditions. The model combines the formulation of Masi, et al. (2013) for describing multi-species mixing under high-p conditions and a single-step chemical reaction of rate consistent with ignition prediction (Borghesi, and Bellan, 2015). In each simulation the computations are pursued past a time at which a maximum average-volumetric p is attained; most analysis is performed at this time, t^*_(pp). The ensemble of realizations explores the effect of the initial Reynolds number, Re_0, of the initial pressure, p_0, and of the initial composition of the two mixing-layer streams. The results show that the thermodynamic energy added by the reaction at the small scales is partially dissipated and partially backscattered. The formation of turbulent small scales is initiated by the morphological changes in the flow through stretching and twisting rather than vice versa. The reaction establishes primarily in the oxidizer stream and is preponderantly of diffusion type. Overwhelmingly, the higher reaction rates occur in the diffusion flame, particularly in regions of high density-gradient magnitude. At higher p_0 the reaction rate reaches higher values and occurs in regions of higher density gradients. The range of reaction rates is independent of the Re_0 value but the magnitude of the density gradients increases with Re_0. When H_2O and CO_2 are initially present, uphill diffusion dominates over regular diffusion and occurs in regions of smaller density-gradient magnitude whereas regular diffusion occurs in regions of larger density-gradient magnitude where the reaction is more vigorous. H_2O is more prone than CO_2 to regular diffusion in the larger density-gradient magnitude regions. When H_2O and CO_2 only form in the flame, both H_2O and CO_2 are subject to regular diffusion over the entire range of density-gradient values. The dissipation probability density function is a log normal distribution at large dissipation values.
Musical Emotions and Personality

Music emotion theory in this book explains wide expanses of music practice as well as its millennial mysteries in relation to cognition. Theoretical predictions are confirmed in experiments. Millions of music lovers relate their fascination with music to musical emotions. Still many experts in music from Hanslick to Boulez and Kivy discard emotions as an essential content of music. Why? The chapter relates this controversy to different types of personality, to opposite attitudes of conscious and unconscious, and explains why sometimes people most gifted with understanding emotions discard them as essential for perception of music. I relate personality types to love at first site, divorce, choice of profession, and other important life choices where opposite attitudes of conscious and unconscious may interfere with wise decisions.
Improved Lower Bound for the Mahler Measure of the Fekete Polynomials

We show that there is an absolute constant $$c > 1/2$$ such that the Mahler measure of the Fekete polynomials $$f_p$$ of the form $$\begin{aligned} f_p(z) := \sum _{k=1}^{p-1}{\left( \frac{k}{p} \right) z^k} \end{aligned}$$ (where the coefficients are the usual Legendre symbols) is at least $$c\sqrt{p}$$ for all sufficiently large primes p. This improves the lower bound $$\left( \frac{1}{2} - \varepsilon \right) \sqrt{p}$$ known before for the Mahler measure of the Fekete polynomials $$f_p$$ for all sufficiently large primes $$p \ge c_{\varepsilon }$$ . Our approach is based on the study of the zeros of the Fekete polynomials on the unit circle.
Metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty is not associated with cardiac disease

AimsMany case reports and small studies have suggested that cobalt ions are a potential cause of cardiac complications, specifically cardiomyopathy, after metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA). The impact of metal ions on the incidence of cardiac disease after MoM THA has not been evaluated in large studies. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of onset of new cardiac symptoms in patients who have undergone MoM THA with those who have undergone metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) THA.Patients and MethodsData were extracted from the Standard Analytics Files database for patients who underwent MoM THA between 2005 and 2012. Bearing surface was selected using International Classification of Diseases ninth revision codes. Patients with a minimum five-year follow-up were selected. An age and gender-matched cohort of patients who underwent MoP THA served as a comparison group. New diagnoses of cardiac disease were collected during the follow-up period. Comorbidities and demographics were identified...
Use of Autoradiography in Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

Autoradiography is a photographic method of recording the spatial distribution of radioisotopes within a particular tissue, cell, cell organelle, or molecule. In this technique, a radioactively labeled specimen, such as a tissue slice or polyacrylamide gel, is placed in direct contact with a photographic emulsion designed for autoradiography. The radioactive atoms will decay in the sample, and emitted radiation will activate individual silver halide grains in the emulsion, rendering them susceptible to conversion into metallic silver by a photographic developer.
Photoacoustic tomography: Ultrasonically beating optical diffusion and diffraction (Presentation Video)

A decade of research has pushed photoacoustic computed tomography to the forefront of molecular-level imaging, notes SPIE Fellow Lihong Wang (Washington University, St. Louis) in his plenary talk, "Photoacoustic Tomography: Ultrasonically Beating Optical Diffusion and Diffraction." Modern optical microscopy has resolution and diffraction limitations. But noninvasive functional photoacoustic computed tomography has overcome this limit, offering deep penetration with optical contrast and ultrasonic resolution of 1 cm depth or more -- up to 7 cm of penetration in some cases, such as evaluating sentinel lymph nodes for breast cancer staging. This opens up applications in whole body imaging, brain function, oxygen saturation, label-free cell analysis, and noninvasive cancer biopsies.
Endovascular Management of Acute Type B Dissection

The current indications for intervention in acute type B dissections involve rupture or signs of impending rupture, rapid diameter progression, malperfusion of abdominal or peripheral vessels, persisting pain, and uncontrollable hypertension. The effectiveness of surgical or endovascular repair for aortic dissection is dependent on closure of the entry tear, re-expansion of the true lumen, and the de-pressurization of the false lumen. The surgical mortality rate in complicated, acute dissections remains 14–31%, with a remarkable increase in patients with end-organ ischemia.1–8 Closure of the primary entry tear by endovascular repair may lead to thrombosis of the false lumen with remodeling of the true lumen in both the acute and chronic settings (Fig. 33.3). Furthermore, lowering the pressure in the false lumen may restore perfusion in any compromised aortic branch vessels.
Pulvinar influences parietal delay activity and information transmission between dorsal and ventral visual cortex in macaques

The fronto-parietal attention network represents attentional priorities and provides feedback about these priorities to sensory cortical areas. Sustained spiking activity in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) carries such prioritized information, but how this activity is sustained in the absence of feedforward sensory information, and how it is transmitted to the ventral visual cortical pathway, is unclear. We hypothesized that the higher-order thalamic nucleus, the pulvinar, which is connected with both the PPC and ventral visual cortical pathway, influences information transmission within and between these cortical regions. To test this, we simultaneously recorded from the pulvinar, lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and visual cortical area V4 in macaques performing a selective attention task. Here we show that LIP influenced V4 during the delay period of the attention task, and that the pulvinar regulated LIP-V4 information exchange. Pulvino-cortical effects were consistent with the pulvinar supporting sustained activity in LIP. Taken together, these results suggest that pulvinar regulation of cortical functional connectivity generalizes to dorsal and ventral visual cortical pathways. Further, the pulvinar's role in sustaining parietal delay activity during selective attention implicates the pulvinar in other cognitive processes supported by such delay activity, including decision-making, categorization and oculomotor functions.
DukeSim: A Realistic, Rapid, and Scanner-Specific Simulation Framework in Computed Tomography

The purpose of this study was to develop a CT simulation platform that is: 1) compatible with voxel-based computational phantoms; 2) capable of modeling the geometry and physics of commercial CT scanners; and 3) computationally efficient. Such a simulation platform is designed to enable the virtual evaluation and optimization of CT protocols and parameters for achieving a targeted image quality while reducing radiation dose. Given a voxelized computational phantom and a parameter file describing the desired scanner and protocol, the developed platform DukeSim calculates projection images using a combination of ray-tracing and Monte Carlo techniques. DukeSim includes detailed models for the detector quantum efficiency, quantum and electronic noise, detector crosstalk, subsampling of the detector and focal spot areas, focal spot wobbling, and the bowtie filter. DukeSim was accelerated using GPU computing. The platform was validated using physical and computational versions of a phantom (Mercury phantom). Clinical and simulated CT scans of the phantom were acquired at multiple dose levels using a commercial CT scanner (Somatom Definition Flash; Siemens Healthcare). The real and simulated images were compared in terms of image contrast, noise magnitude, noise texture, and spatial resolution. The relative error between the clinical and simulated images was less than 1.4%, 0.5%, 2.6%, and 3%, for image contrast, noise magnitude, noise texture, and spatial resolution, respectively, demonstrating the high realism of DukeSim. The runtime, dependent on the imaging task and the hardware, was approximately 2–3 minutes per rotation in our study using a computer with 4 GPUs. DukeSim, when combined with realistic human phantoms, provides the necessary toolset with which to perform large-scale and realistic virtual clinical trials in a patient and scanner-specific manner.
A Bad Marriage: Jewish Divorce and the First Amendment

This article argues that it is unconstitutional for civil laws, such as the New York "Get" Law, to require that Jewish men give their wives a religious divorce when seeking a civil divorce. The article argued that the process of obtaining a Jewish divorce is inherently religious, and that it is a violation of the Free Exercise Clause to require that someone perform a religious act or ceremony in order to obtain a civil benefit, such as divorce. The article also argues that laws like the New York Get Law violate the Establishment Clause by using the authority of the state to coerce plaintiffs in divorce proceedings to become involved in a religious ceremony. The article concludes that such laws are dangerous to those who seriously practice their faith and that "historically, few religions, especially religious minorities, have fared well once they have asked the state to interfere with their internal structure." Thus, "in the end, observant Jews and all other religious people will be better served by a legal system which avoids entangling itself in the intricacies and complexities of religious law."
Non-Minimal Higgs Sectors: The Decoupling Limit and its Phenomenological Implications,

In models with a non-minimal Higgs sector, a decoupling limit can be defined. In this limit, the masses of all the physical Higgs states are large (compared to the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking) except for one neutral CP-even Higgs scalar, whose properties are indistinguishable from the Higgs boson of the minimal Standard Model. The decoupling limit of the most general CP-conserving two-Higgs doublet model is formulated. Detection of evidence for a non-minimal Higgs sector at future colliders in the decoupling limit may present a formidable challenge for future Higgs searches.
Review: River Cities, City Rivers, edited by Thaïsa Way

Thaisa Way, ed. River Cities, City Rivers Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2018, 418 pp., 65 color and 130 b/w illus. $65 (cloth), ISBN 9780884024255 In 2015, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection devoted its annual Garden and Landscape Studies Symposium to a topic larger than any of those that had long constituted the library's scholarly fare. Announcing the symposium title “River Cities: Historical and Contemporary,” organizer Thaisa Way invited historians, urban planners, landscape architects, and others focused on the interactions of cities and their riverine environments to consider rivers more subtly and comprehensively than simply, as she puts it in the introduction to this volume, “as landscapes in themselves or as agents of urban formation” (1). The papers presented at the symposium—the first of several city-focused conferences supported by Dumbarton Oaks' Mellon Initiative in Urban Landscape Studies—are now available to readers who were unable to attend the 2015 meeting. With this edited collection, River Cities, City Rivers , Way has, in large part, succeeded in realizing her initial ambition and in bringing the symposium to a wider audience of urban and environmental historians and planning practitioners. Following Way's introduction, the volume's fourteen essays represent as …
Information flow in diffractive imaging with subwavelength resolution

Optical microscopy provides unparalleled tools for understanding and characterization of small-scale objects. We have recently developed an approach that combines diffractive imaging and machine learning to characterize wavelength-scale objects with subwavelength resolution based on few (or, often, single) measurement. The technique relies on the diffraction interaction between finite-sized diffraction grating and an object to outcouple information about both sub-wavelength and wavelength-scale features of the object into the far field and on machine learning to characterize the object based on its diffractive signature. In this work we aim to understand the flow of information through the image recognition process. We parameterize the diffractive signatures in Bessel and Fourier representations and analyze the performance of the recovery routines dependent on the choice of the harmonics in these expansions. Separately, we analyze the subset of the harmonics that are used by the machine learning algorithms in identifying the objects. Performance of the recovery routines as a function of noise is also analyzed. Our study provides an insight into the dynamics of machine learning and it helps identify the information channels that are crucial for optimal recovery of complex objects with high resolution, fidelity, and speed.
Health Department Efforts to Increase Hepatitis C RNA Testing Among People Appearing Out of Care: Comparison of Outreach Approaches, New York City, 2017:

ObjectivesHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious health problem in New York City. Although curative treatments are available, many people are out of care. The New York City Department of He...
Boosting dispersive spectrograph stability 1000x using an interferometer with crossfaded delays

We demonstrate a key step along a technical route to achieving cm/s scale accuracy for astronomical spectrographs over long (multi-year) time scales, which is critical for the Doppler characterization of earth sized exoplanets, and measurement of small cosmic redshift drift over many years. This same technique is also en- abling for searching exoplanet atmospheres for biosignficant molecules in direct planet imaging using otherwise insufficiently low resolution and drift prone dispersive (grating or prism) spectrographs. Using a new method called crossfading" for externally dispersed interferometers (EDI) to get highly robust spectra, we recently demonstrated a factor of 1000x reduction in the net shift of an EDI measured ThAr line to a deliberate simulated wavelength translation of the detector. This 1000x gain in disperser stability can be combined with conventional stability gains afforded by fiber scramblers, vacuum tanks, and thermal control, to provide an additional 1 to 3 orders of magnitude reduction in the net PSF shift drift. Crossfading combines high and low delay fringing signals that react oppositely in phase to cancel their net reaction to a detector wavelength drift. This can be implemented by an interferometer addition to a facility spectrograph.
Behavior Analysis Goes to School: Teacher Acceptability of Behavior-Analytic Language in Behavioral Consultation

Effective communication is a vital component of behavioral consultation. Behavioral consultants (e.g., behavior analysts, school psychologists) are responsible for drafting behavior intervention plans, delivering accessible training, and providing concise and consumable feedback to teachers. Their reliance on technological descriptions to communicate behavioral principles and procedures may yield poor social validity and hinder the consultant–teacher relationship. In this study, we recruited 164 teachers through Amazon Mechanical Turk and administered a survey to (a) evaluate the social acceptability of technical and nontechnical language used in behavioral consultation across a variety of student populations and (b) gain information about teachers’ experiences with behavioral consultation. Implications are discussed for training and the provision of behavioral consultation services.
Extended Perspective Shift and Discourse Economy in Language Processing.

Research spanning linguistics, psychology, and philosophy suggests that speakers and hearers are finely attuned to perspectives and viewpoints that are not their own, even though perspectival information is not encoded directly in the morphosyntax of languages like English. While some terms seem to require a perspective or a judge for interpretation (e.g., epithets, evaluative adjectives, locational PPs, etc.), perspective may also be determined on the basis of subtle information spanning multiple sentences, especially in vivid styles of narrative reporting. In this paper, I develop an account of the cues that are involved in evaluating and maintaining non- speaker perspectives, and present an economy-based discourse processing model of perspective that embodies two core principles. First, perspectives are subject to a “speaker-default”, but may shift to a non-speaker perspective if sufficient contextual cues are provided. Second, the processor follows the path of least resistance to maintaining perspective, opting to maintain the current perspective across sentences as long as the shifted perspective continues to be coherent. The predictions of the model are tested in a series of offline and online studies, manipulating the form of an attitude report and the tense of the sentence that follows. Implications for processing perspective and viewpoint in speech and narrative forms are explored.