cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the function of object cells in the claustrum-key components in information processing in the visual system?

A recent paper by Jankowski and O'Mara (2015) throws new light on the function of the claustrum. These authors took recordings from 874 claustral neurons in unanesthetized behaving rats that showed responses probably anchored to visual stimuli. These fell into three categories—“place” neurons (38) that responded to the location of the rat, “boundary” neurons (23) that responded to boundaries closing the rat's environment, and “object” neurons (48) that fired only in response to the existence of a specific object in the environment. All three types of response showed with good within-session stability. Of particular interest in the present context are the object cells. These code the position in space of an object in the environment and not its particular properties (e.g., shape, texture, color). They also follow an object when it moves in the environment. Some object neurons can follow multiple objects (up to 3). Object neurons are also found in the subiculum, and in the anterior entorhinal, perirhinal, and anterior cingulate cortices with which areas the claustrum has extensive connections.
Needs of Non-Energy Focused Contractors

To better understand the informational needs of non energy-focused contractors, including what information they need to motivate them to become energy-focused, the BARA team studied the type of information provided by the national programs, trade associations, and manufacturers that were researched for the related technical report: Effective Communication of Energy Efficiency. While that report focused on the delivery method, format, and strategy of the information, this study examines the content being put forward.
On the feasibility of detecting the ionospheric effects of solar energetic particle events at Mars using spacecraft-spacecraft radio links

Indirect evidence and theoretical modeling suggests that the effects of solar energetic particle (SEP) events on the ionosphere of Mars are substantial, but observations have not yet provided quantitative information on the magnitude or vertical distribution of the plasma produced below 100 km by SEP events. Strong radio wave absorption is anticipated during a SEP event due to the production of plasma at low altitudes where the neutral atmosphere is relatively dense. Here we test the feasibility of measuring the ionospheric effects of SEP events using power losses in spacecraft-spacecraft UHF radio links. Both lander-orbiter and orbiter-orbiter cases are considered for the UHF radio frequency of 400 MHz. A large SEP event should cause an ionospheric power loss at 400 MHz of 1.5 dB in lander-orbiter communications and, due to the longer path length, a larger power loss of 35 dB in orbiter-orbiter communications. Multiple SEP events occur each year that can cause a lander-orbiter power loss of 0.1 dB, which is shown to be theoretically detectable by current instrumentation, and an orbiter-orbiter power loss of 2 dB. The vertical profile of electron density at low altitudes can be determined from orbiter-orbiter power losses.
Establishing herd immunity against Ebola through vaccination.

Abstract Objectives In response to recent concern regarding Ebola outbreaks, this study aims to (1) determine the relationship between vaccination coverage and herd immunity, (2) determine the vaccination coverage necessary to establish herd immunity for previous Ebola viruses, and (3) recommend vaccination coverage thresholds for future Ebola viruses. Methods Herd immunity thresholds needed to block transmission of Ebola virus were determined using vaccine efficacy and number of secondary cases per infected case during an entire infectious period. Results In past Ebola outbreaks 42.2–63.0% of the population would need to be vaccinated in order to prevent transmission and outbreaks. Assuming 80% vaccine efficacy as reported by phase I clinical trials, 52.7–78.7% of the population would require vaccination coverage in order to establish herd immunity. In recent ring vaccination trials which considered the vaccine to be 100% effective after 10 days, 42.2–63.0% of the population would need to be vaccinated. Conclusion For future Ebola outbreaks, the spread of the virus can be prevented by vaccinating certain percentages of the population depending on vaccine efficacy and number of secondary cases per infected case.
Analysis of drinking water quality of Wuxi city in 2010

Objective:To investigate the condition of drinking water quality of Wuxi City.Methods: The water samples from water source,waterworks,the city′s pipeline end and the secondary drinking water of high building,Taihu water source were evaluated according to the Standard of GB5750-85 Testing Regulation of Drinking Water.In addition,total 106 tests were performed in February and August for 2 city pipeline water point and 4 waterworks water source points.Results: Eighty percent of 64 water source samples meet the level 2 or level 3 requirements.Qualification rate of 389 water samples from waterworks was 95.9%.Qualification rate of 911water samples from city pipeline end was 90.2%.Qualification rate of 40 samples from secondary water was 85.0%.Conclusion: Overall,the drinking water of wuxi city can basically meet the national health standards.Ammonia nitrogen,odor,COD,total coliform groups and the total bacterial count were over limit and need improvement and further correction.
Multistage PMU optimal placement considering redundancy

Due to the high price of phasor measurement units(PMUs),all PMUs needed in a system cannot be installed at one time.Meanwhile,the power system network undergoes multistage dynamic development.To deal with these problems,this paper presents a multistage optimal placement method considering redundancy for a PMU.Based on the proposed calculation of system redundancy,this method maximizes the system redundancy at each stage and takes existent PMUs into consideration.On this basis,the optimal placement of PMUs are divided into two stages.In the first stage,the observability of all buses in the system is guaranteed.In the second stage,the overall system is observed under the N-1 fault of the transmission line.An improved genetic and tabu search algorithm is used to solve this problem.Through the simulation of a New England 39-bus and IEEE 118 system,reasonable schemes for the multistage PMU optimal placement considering redundancy were obtained.Meanwhile,the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method were verified.
A framework for integration of logical and probabilistic knowledge

Integrating the expressive power of first-order logic with the ability of probabilistic reasoning of Bayesian networks has attracted the interest of many researchers for decades. We present an approach to integration that translates logical knowledge into Bayesian networks and uses Bayesian network composition to build a uniform representation that supports both logical and probabilistic reasoning. In particular, we propose a new way of translation of logical knowledge, relation search. Through the use of the proposed framework, without learning new languages or tools, modelers are allowed to 1) specify special knowledge using the most suitable languages, while reasoning in a uniform engine; 2) make use of pre-existing logical knowledge bases for probabilistic reasoning (to complete the model or minimize potential inconsistencies).
A surgical alternative for dissociated vertical deviation based on new pathologic concepts: weakening all four oblique eye muscles. Outcome and results in 9 cases.

PURPOSE To test new and recent theories on the etiology of Dissociated Vertical Deviation (DVD) with an appropriate new alternative surgical technique. METHOD Nine patients were prospectively selected. The surgical technique used was simultaneous and symmetrical weakening of all 4 oblique eye muscles in order to reduce bilateral cyclotorsion. For analysis, "Statistical Significance" level used was p<0.05. RESULTS Mean preoperative hypertropia was 17.9 prism diopters (pd) for the right eyes (RE) and 17.7 pd for the left eyes (LE). Mean post-surgical deviation achieved was 6.44 pd for the REs and 5.78 pd for the LEs. Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon's Test) showed a p<0.02 for both eyes. In all cases, a symmetrical correction was also obtained. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis that the manifest hypertropia seen in patients with DVD is secondary to cyclotorsion, mediated primarily by the oblique muscles, was validated by improving (reducing) the DVD by performing bilateral and symmetrical weakening of all four oblique extraocular muscles.
Motivated state control in larval zebrafish: behavioral paradigms and anatomical substrates

Over the course of each day, animals prioritize different objectives. Immediate goals may reflect fluctuating internal homeostatic demands, prompting individuals to seek out energy supplies or warmth. At other times, the environment may present temporary challenges or opportunities. Homeostatic demands and environmental signals often elicit persistent changes in an animal's behavior to meet needs and challenges over extended periods of time. These changes reflect the underlying motivational state of the animal. The larval zebrafish has been established as an effective genetically tractable vertebrate system to study neural circuits for sensory-motor reflexes. Fewer studies have exploited zebrafish to study brain circuits that control motivated behavior. In part this is because appropriate conceptual frameworks, anatomical knowledge, and behavioral paradigms are not yet well established. This review sketches a general conceptual framework for studying motivated state control in animal models, how this applies to larval zebrafish, and the current knowledge on neuroanatomical substrates for state control in this model.
The role of allergy in the pathogenesis of purpura and thrombocytopenia.

It has been suggested that, for purposes of etiologic investigation, thrombocytopenic purpura be separated into its two component parts, thrombocytopenia and purpura, and that they be regarded as two coexisting abnormalities rather than as a single disease. Historical review of the development of knowledge of the pathogenesis of purpura emphasizes the importance and soundness of this dual approach. Both thrombocytopenia and purpura have been shown to have a complex etiologic pattern with multiple potential etiologic factors. The curious similarity of these two groups of factors may at least partially explain the frequent coexistence of the two abnormalities in the clinical picture of thrombocytopenic purpura. It has been shown that allergy has long been recognized as an etiologic factor of major importance in both purpura and thrombocytopenia. It is logical, therefore, that it should frequently be an important etiologic factor when the two conditions exist together, and it is suggested that when diagnostic methods are more adequate a considerable number of cases of "idiopathic" thrombocytopenic purpura will fall into that category and will yield therapeutically to a proper allergic approach.
II-14 disturbed clearance of apoptotic debris in pristane-treated tlr9ko mice leads to accumulation of a unique macrophage population

Background Nucleic acid binding TLRs have been found to play a critical role in the production of autoantibodies and disease development in animal models of SLE. Intriguingly, TLR9 appears to play both a protective and disease promoting role. While TLR9 is required for the production of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, TLR9KO autoimmune-prone mice develop more severe disease than their TLR9-sufficient counterparts. Studies from our group and others have pointed to B cell expression of TLR9 as a key determining factor. However, our recent studies point to an additional role for TLR9in myeloid lineage cells. Materials and methods Pristane injected BALB/c wildtype (WT) and TLR9KO mice were analysed for disease severity at 5 months. Kidney sections were stained for IgG deposition and Ly6G positive cells. Single cell suspensions of different tissues were analysed using flow cytometry. Mixed BM chimaeras (50% WT: 50% TLR9KO) were injected with pristane and myeloid populations were analysed. For apoptotic cell clearance, WT and TLR9KO bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM) were stimulated with CFSE labelled apoptotic cells and analysed 24 hours later by confocal microscopy. Results We have found that TLR9-deficiency dramatically exacerbates the onset of renal disease resulting in decreased survival. Increased levels of IgG accumulate in pristane treated TLR9KO glomeruli compared to WT glomeruli, and the increased IgG deposits are associated with an increased myeloid infiltrate. Moreover, this myeloid infiltrate contained an increased frequency of granulocytes a well as an unusual CD11b+ Ly6Cint Ly6Gint (Ly6CGint) subset. To better understand the origin of these populations, the myeloid subsets of pristane-treated mixed (TLR9WT + TLR9KO) BM chimaeras were analysed. Remarkably, the Ly6CGint population was entirely derived from the TLR9KO stem cells. Morphologic analysis revealed that the Ly6CGint population are macrophages containing large lipid droplets, suggesting a role for TLR9 in degradation of pristane. Further in vitro analysis of BMDMs stimulated with apoptotic cells showed that most WT BMDMs cleared apoptotic cells by 24 h. However, a large fraction of TLR9-deficient BMDMs still had un-degraded apoptotic cells in the lysosomal compartment, suggesting a role for TLR9 in clearance. Conclusions These data demonstrate a direct effect of TLR9-deficiency on the expansion of a unique CD11b+ population, and further suggest that these cells play a major and direct role in the accelerated disease characteristic in TLR9KO mice. Furthermore, a specific role for TLR9 in the clearance of apoptotic cells may be the underlying cause for the accumulation of this CD11b+ subset.
Multiscale Evaluation of Catalytic Upgrading of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapors on Ni- and Ga-Modified ZSM-5

Metal-impregnated (Ni or Ga) ZSM-5 catalysts were studied for biomass pyrolysis vapor upgrading to produce hydrocarbons using three reactors constituting a 100 000× change in the amount of catalyst used in experiments. Catalysts were screened for pyrolysis vapor phase upgrading activity in two small-scale reactors: (i) a Pyroprobe with a 10 mg catalyst in a fixed bed and (ii) a fixed-bed reactor with 500 mg of catalyst. The best performing catalysts were then validated with a larger scale fluidized-bed reactor (using ∼1 kg of catalyst) that produced measurable quantities of bio-oil for analysis and evaluation of mass balances. Despite some inherent differences across the reactor systems (such as residence time, reactor type, analytical techniques, mode of catalyst and biomass feed) there was good agreement of reaction results for production of aromatic hydrocarbons, light gases, and coke deposition. Relative to ZSM-5, Ni or Ga addition to ZSM-5 increased production of fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarb...
Queues with Redundancy: Is Waiting in Multiple Lines Fair?

In a service system, a redundant customer is one who may join multiple queues simultaneously and is "served" when any one of her copies completes service; systems with redundant customers range from supermarkets with multiple checkout lines to multiple listing for kidney transplants. We study the performance of two queues serving two classes of customers, one of which is redundant. By analyzing different policies that a non-redundant customer may use to join a queue when faced with different levels of system information, our model provides fundamental insights on optimal queue-joining policies, fairness, and the value of information in such systems. Specifically, we show that joining the shortest queue (JSQ) does not necessarily minimize an arriving non-redundant customer's delay if the entire system state information (including which customers are redundant) is available, but that JSQ is optimal if only the queue lengths are observable. We also show that non-redundant customers forming independent Poisson streams to each queue prefer that the other class be redundant as opposed to utilizing JSQ if the queues are symmetric (i.e., in this case redundancy is fair); however, this may not hold if the queues have different loads.
Developing drugs that target the Wnt pathway: recent approaches in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that has a crucial role in embryonic and adult life. Dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been associated with various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Several molecular components of the signaling have been proposed as innovative targets for cancer therapy, and very recently, some of them have been also evaluated as potential therapeutic targets for PD.Areas covered: This review focuses on the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the pathogenensis of cancer and PD, examining some recent therapeutic approaches that are ongoing in preclinical and clinical studies. The possibilities that this signaling offers for diagnosis and prognosis of neoplastic diseases, and the concerns of targeting this pathway are also discussed.Expert opinion: Despite the stimulating results obtained in preclinical studies on cancer and other disease models, the clinical experience w...
Abstract P234: S-nitrosylation of Cyclophilin D Attenuates Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening: A Critical Role for Cysteine 203 Residue

S-nitrosylation (SNO), a reversible, redox-dependent post-translational modification, has emerged as an important mechanism for dynamic regulation of many proteins. Our previous studies have shown that protein S-nitrosylation (SNO) plays a protective role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. The primary mediator of cell death in I/R injury is activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Using a proteomic approach, we have previously found that cyclophilin D (CypD), a critical mPTP regulator, can be SNO on cysteine 203 (C203). To investigate whether SNO of CypD might attenuate mPTP activation, we mutated cysteine 203 of CypD, to a serine residue (C203S) and determined its effects on mPTP opening by assessing H2O2-induced mPTP opening using the calcein AM-cobalt chloride quenching method. Treatment of CypD-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with H2O2 resulted loss in an ≈50 % loss of mPTP opening as compared to WT MEFs (n=5, p<0.05), consistent with the protective role of CypD in mPTP activation. Addition of a nitric oxide donor, GSNO, to CypD-/- MEFs did not further reduce mPTP opening; however, WT MEFs treated GSNO attenuated mPTP opening by half. To elucidate the role of SNO of C203 on CypD, we infected CypD-/- MEFs with a C203S-CypD vector. C203S-CypD re-constituted MEFs were also resistant to mPTP opening in the presence or absence of GSNO. This suggests that C203 is required for mPTP activation. To determine whether in vivo expression of C203S-CypD would alter mPTP opening, we generated adenovirus vectors encoding WT CypD or mutated C203S-CypD and injected these viral particles into CypD-/- mice via tail-vein. Mitochondria isolated from livers of CypD-/- mice or mice expressing C203S-CypD were resistant to Ca2+-induced swelling as compared to WT CypD reconstituted mice. In summary, our results indicate that C203 of CypD is required for mPTP opening and for the first time shows that SNO of C203 on CypD acts to attenuate mPTP activation.
Caseloads of Teachers of Students with Behavioral Disorders

There is mounting concern among professionals in special education about where students with special needs receive services. The relative dearth of empirical data to guide states, school districts,...
Towards a collaborative connected, automated driving environment: A game theory based decision framework for unprotected left turn maneuvers

Connectivity and automation provide the opportunity to enhance safety and mitigate congestion in transportation systems. In fact, these technologies can enhance the efficiency of drivers/vehicles' decision-making by managing and coordinating the interactions among human-driven and connected, automated vehicles. Such management and coordination can lead to developing a collaborative connected, automated driving environment. Game theory, as a methodology to model the outcome of the interactions among multiple players, is a perfect tool to characterize the interaction between these vehicles. One of the most challenging maneuvers to model is drivers/vehicles' tactical decisions at intersections. Focusing on unprotected left turn maneuvers, this study aims at developing a game theory based framework to characterize driver behavior in unprotected left turn maneuvers in a connected, automated driving environment. A two-person non-zero-sum non-cooperative game under complete information is selected to model the underlying decision-making. NGSIM data is used to calibrate the payoff functions based on Maximum Likelihood Estimation. Validation results indicate that this framework can effectively capture vehicle interactions when performing conflicting turning movements while achieving a relatively high accuracy in predicting vehicles' real choice.
James Hogg, ‘the beginner, and almost sole instigator' of Blackwood's – Not Once, but Twice

James Hogg claims to have been instrumental in initiating both versions of William Blackwood's venture into magazine publishing in 1817. This essay examines Hogg's role in beginning the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine and its successor, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, and discusses the significance of his contributions to the Edinburgh Monthly and the early numbers of Blackwood's in terms of his influence on the direction of the magazine and the magazine's impact on him. Attention is given to key works in both versions, especially ‘Tales and Anecdotes of the Pastoral Life’ and ‘Shakspeare Club of Alloa’ in the Edinburgh Monthly and the ‘Chaldee Manuscript’ and ‘Elegy’ in Blackwood's. Also important for Hogg's relationship with Blackwood's were Hogg's submissions that Blackwood did not publish. This essay looks particularly at Hogg's failed effort to enter the attacks on the Cockney School and how he also became a victim of the social and intellectual disdain leveled against the Cockneys.
The impact of relative individual ecosystem demand on stacking ecosystem credit markets

Abstract A blended actual and hypothetical vertical ecosystem services stacking scenario is developed for a water quality trading (WQT) program in North Carolina. Demand is estimated for total nitrogen reduction and simulated for total phosphorous reduction. Nitrogen and phosphorus are complementary pollutants jointly produced by a single conservation practice, riparian buffers. The supply of reduction is based on the amount of riparian buffers that would be implemented by farmers at a given offering price for WQT credits. Nitrogen reduction is the primary ecosystem service that already has a market in the form of a WQT program. Phosphorus reduction is a hypothetical, secondary ecosystem service that we introduce to evaluate ecosystem stacking. We specifically evaluate stacking in thin markets, where there are few buyers and/or sellers. Our detailed analysis shows that the relative size of demand for different services plays a profound role in the success of stacking when markets are thin; and many if not most ecosystem markets are thin. A secondary service with relatively low demand will either be too small (insufficient) to generate any new credits, or, in a non-competitive market with few sellers, produce no additionality of the secondary service (double dipping). In these two cases, sponsors of the secondary market should not make payments since they will receive no additional benefits above what would have been achieved under conservation practices implemented for the primary ecosystem service. We find that ecosystem stacking is most likely to generate more revenue to producers and to reduce pollution emissions when demand for the secondary service is comparable in magnitude to the primary service. Accurate assessment of relative demand can help policy makers determine where stacking might work, and help purchasers avoid paying for services without results, especially where markets are thin.
Human papillomavirus infection among HIV-infected individuals. Implications for development of malignant tumors.

The risk of development of anogenital cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) is increased in immunosuppressed individuals, including those with immunosuppression associated with MIV Infection . N omen wlfll Hlv mfechon have a htgher rate of both cervical HPV infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia than HIV-negative women, and they may be at increased risk for the development of cervical cancer. Homosexual men with HIV infection have a higher prevalence of anal HPV infection and anal intraepithelial neoplasia, and they may be at increased risk for the development of anal cancer. These findings highlight the necessity for aggressive cytologic screening and treatment of HIV -positive women, and possibly men, in the prevention of anogenital cancer.
Executive Functions in Autism

Although autism has been relatively well described at the symptom level (American Psychiatric Association, 1987; Rapin, 1991; Rutter, 1978a; Rutter & Schopler, 1987), the nature of the underlying processes responsible for the behavioral manifestations of the disorder is not yet clear. As Rutter (1988) emphasized, a thorough understanding of any developmental psychopathology requires a shift from descriptive accounts and statistical approaches to a focus on causal processes and underlying psychobiologic mechanisms. Unfortunately, in the field of autism, there remains a large gap between our ability to recognize and diagnose the disorder and our understanding of the impairments underlying it. Identification of so-called “primary deficits” is critical for the eventual understanding of the neural substrate of the disorder. It will also likely have implications for early diagnosis, treatment, and educational remediation (Frith, 1988).
Current Topics in Protozoal Diseases

The author reviews seven protozoal diseases, emphasizing the current development but also briefly reviewing the basic knowledge in epidemiology, parasitology, clinical features, pathology, and laboratory diagnosis. Cryptosporidiosis, microsporidiosis, and cyclosporiasis, which are newly discovered diseases in humans, and pneumocystosis, toxoplasmosis, and isosporiasis, which are important opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are discussed. The author also presents acanthamoeba keratitis, a disease seen mainly in contact lens wearers that is expected to have a higher prevalence in the near future.
The Supply and Demand for Public Goods: School Quality with Hedonic House Prices and 3sls

Public good provision is an important topic. I calculate theimplicit price of school quality from the housing marketusing a hedonic approach, then I estimate the demand andsupply of school quality. This is the first supply ofeducation quality estimation. I find a price elasticity ofsupply of 0.21. Other studies have used expenditures tomeasure demand for educational equality. I show that use ofexpenditures produces results that are inconsistent witheconomic theory; instead, employing educational outcomemeasures works much better. I also evaluate the impact ofusing 3SLS instead of single-equation techniques.
SPARSE ANOMALY REPRESENTATIONS IN VERY HIGH-DIMENSIONAL BRAIN SIGNALS

Across scales of organization, brain activity is inherently sparse. This is also the case for transiently occurring signal abnormalities associated with neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. Consequently, for the purpose of characterizing these abnormalities, very high-dimensional brain signals may be represented as sparse combinations of the elements of a comprehensive (overcomplete) dictionary. Such a dictionary may be estimated (learned) from the dataset(s) of interest. However, given the statistical, spectral and signature heterogeneity of brain signals recorded over long periods of times, the size of the dictionary may be suboptimal, particularly in terms of its size. In this paper, signal-specific, dataset-specific and individual-specific anomaly dictionaries, estimated via the K-SVD algorithm from noninvasive high-frequency brain signals collected continuously over several days are explored. It is shown that signal-specific dictionaries may yield substantially more accurate representations than those estimated by combining training signals from multiple electrodes.
An Adversarial Approach to Improve Long-Tail Performance in Neural Collaborative Filtering

In recent times, deep neural networks have found success in Collaborative Filtering (CF) based recommendation tasks. By parametrizing latent factor interactions of users and items with neural architectures, they achieve significant gains in scalability and performance over matrix factorization. However, the long-tail phenomenon in recommender performance persists on the massive inventories of online media or retail platforms. Given the diversity of neural architectures and applications, there is a need to develop a generalizable and principled strategy to enhance long-tail item coverage. In this paper, we propose a novel adversarial training strategy to enhance long-tail recommendations for users with Neural CF (NCF) models. The adversary network learns the implicit association structure of entities in the feedback data while the NCF model is simultaneously trained to reproduce these associations and avoid the adversarial penalty, resulting in enhanced long-tail performance. Experimental results show that even without auxiliary data, adversarial training can boost long-tail recall of state-of-the-art NCF models by up to 25%, without trading-off overall performance. We evaluate our approach on two diverse platforms, content tag recommendation in Q&A forums and movie recommendation.
Red blood cell deformability is diminished in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a poorly understood disease. Amongst others symptoms, the disease is associated with profound fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep abnormalities, and other symptoms that are made worse by physical or mental exertion. While the etiology of the disease is still debated, evidence suggests oxidative damage to immune and hematological systems as one of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Since red blood cells (RBCs) are well-known scavengers of oxidative stress, and are critical in microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation, we hypothesized that RBC deformability is adversely affected in ME/CFS. Methods We used a custom microfluidic platform and high-speed microscopy to assess the difference in deformability of RBCs obtained from ME/CFS patients and age-matched healthy controls. Results and conclusion We observed from various measures of deformability that the RBCs isolated from ME/CFS patients were significantly stiffer than those from healthy controls. Our observations suggest that RBC transport through microcapillaries may explain, at least in part, the ME/CFS phenotype, and promises to be a novel first-pass diagnostic test.
Implementing Successful School Run Clubs: Lessons Learned from a District-level Initiative in Boston Public Schools

No one-size-fits-all strategy works to increase physical activity (PA) at schools. To realize success, practitioners need flexible PA programs to support the multi-component comprehensive school ph...
Broadband Supercontinuum Generation from a Tm Oscillator in a Highly Nonlinear Silica Fiber

A broadband supercontinuum is generated from a thulium ultrafast fiber laser in a highly nonlinear silica fiber with low nJ input pulse energies. © 2019 The Author(s)
Prevalence and Etiology of Burnout in a Community-Based Graduate Medical Education System: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background and objectives Burnout rates among American physicians and trainees are high. The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare burnout rates among residents and faculty members of the graduate medical education (GME) programs sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita (KUSM-W) to previously published data, and (2) to evaluate the physicians' feedback on perceived causes and activities to promote wellness. Methods Between April and May 2017, we surveyed 439 residents and core faculty members from 13 residency programs sponsored by the KUSM-W. The survey included the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, two open-ended questions, and demographic questions. The authors used Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher exact tests to analyze the quantitative data, and an immersion-crystallization approach to analyze the open-ended data. Results Forty-three percent of all respondents met the criteria for burnout, and the overall response rate was 50%. When compared with core faculty members, rates of burnout among residents were higher (51% vs 31%, Pl.05). The immersion-crystallization approach revealed five interconnected themes as possible causes of burnout among physicians: work-life imbalance, system issues, poor morale, difficult patient populations, and unrealistic expectations. Promotion of healthy and mindfulness activities; enhanced program leadership; and administration, program, and system modification were identified as activities/resources that can promote wellness among physicians. Conclusions The findings show that burnout is prevalent among physicians within GME. Wellness and burnout prevention should be addressed at the beginning of medical training and longitudinally. Potential intervention should include activities that allow physicians to thrive in the health care environment.
Opioid Dose and Benzodiazepine Use Among Commercially Insured Individuals on Chronic Opioid Therapy.

OBJECTIVE To examine morphine milligram equivalent (MME) trends, use of concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines, and opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations in a national cohort of patients on chronic opioid therapy. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis of prospectively collected data from the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database from 2009 to 2015. This includes individuals in both the Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental databases of MarketScan. METHODS MME comparisons of 1) patients on chronic opioids with and without opioid-related ED visits or hospitalizations, 2) patients on concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines with and without opioid-related ED visits or hospitalizations, and 3) patients on chronic opioids compared with those on concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine using the Student t test. RESULTS MME decreased from 194 mg in 2009 to 119 mg in 2015 among patients on chronic opioids. Patients on opioids and benzodiazepines had higher doses than those on opioids alone for all years (P 50 had a twofold increased risk of having an opioid-related ED visit or hospitalization compared with those with an MME <50, for all years. CONCLUSIONS Although the average MME decreased over time, patients on combination opioid and benzodiazepine and those with opioid-related ED visits and hospitalizations had significantly higher doses.
Peptide Nucleic Acids and Gene Editing: Perspectives on Structure and Repair

Unusual nucleic acid structures are salient triggers of endogenous repair and can occur in sequence-specific contexts. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) rely on these principles to achieve non-enzymatic gene editing. By forming high-affinity heterotriplex structures within the genome, PNAs have been used to correct multiple human disease-relevant mutations with low off-target effects. Advances in molecular design, chemical modification, and delivery have enabled systemic in vivo application of PNAs resulting in detectable editing in preclinical mouse models. In a model of β-thalassemia, treated animals demonstrated clinically relevant protein restoration and disease phenotype amelioration, suggesting a potential for curative therapeutic application of PNAs to monogenic disorders. This review discusses the rationale and advances of PNA technologies and their application to gene editing with an emphasis on structural biochemistry and repair.
Vascular Access and Risk of Bloodstream Infection Among Older Incident Hemodialysis Patients.

Rationale & Objective Most new patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) initiate hemodialysis (HD) with a central venous catheter (CVC) and later transition to a permanent vascular access with lower infection risk. The benefit of early fistula use in preventing severe infections is incompletely understood. We examined patients' first access and subsequent transitions between accesses during the first year of HD to estimate the risk for bloodstream infection (BSI) associated with incident and time-dependent use of HD access. Study Design A retrospective cohort study using enhanced 5% Medicare claims data. Setting & Participants New patients with ESRD initiating HD between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012, and having complete pre-ESRD Medicare fee-for-service coverage for 2 years. Exposure The incident and prevalent use of CVC, graft, or fistula as determined from monthly reports to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by HD providers. Outcome Incident hospitalization with a primary/secondary diagnosis of BSI (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 038.xx or 790.7). Analytical Approach Extended survival analysis accounting for patient confounders. Results Of 2,352 study participants, 1,870 (79.5%), 77 (3.3%), and 405 (17.2%) initiated HD with a CVC, graft, and fistula, respectively. During the first year, the incident BSI hospitalization rates per 1,000 person-days were 1.3, 0.8, and 0.3 (P Limitations Restricted to an elderly population; potential residual confounding. Conclusions Incident fistula use was associated with lowest rates of BSI, but the majority of beneficiaries with pre-ESRD insurance initiated HD with a CVC. Strategies are needed to improve pre-ESRD fistula placement.
Interpretation of the Intracranial Stereoelectroencephalography Signal.

The intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) is essential in decision making for epilepsy surgery. Although localization of epileptogenic brain regions by means of iEEG has been the gold standard for surgical decision-making for more than 70 years, established guidelines for what constitutes genuine iEEG epileptic activity and what is normal brain activity are not available. This review provides a summary of the current state of knowledge and understanding on normal iEEG entities and variants, the effects of sleep on regional and lobar iEEG, iEEG patterns of interictal and ictal epileptic activity and their relation to well-described epileptogenic pathologies and surgical outcome.
“I Was Going to Be in Residence Life for Life”: Exploring the Experiences of Former Student Affairs Professionals Turned Faculty

Former student affairs professionals turned faculty bring their previous professional identities into their current role, often emphasizing holistic approaches toward supporting educational leaders...
Combating climate change in the clinic: Cost-effective strategies to decrease the carbon footprint of outpatient dermatologic practice.

Abstract There have been numerous studies highlighting the negative impact that climate change has already had and is expected to continue to have on patients and their health. Notably, the health care industry has been identified as a major contributor to the global carbon footprint, highlighting a major opportunity for practitioners to intervene. However, the large majority of the literature on strategies to reduce health care’s contribution to climate change focuses solely on the inpatient setting. We review a variety of strategies for clinicians in the outpatient setting to adjust their practices to combat climate change. Summarizing the best evidence from other industries and translating recommendations from the literature on inpatient practice, we identify a wide range of opportunities for intervention, many of which are easy to implement and cost-effective. These general strategies to reduce both the carbon footprint and monthly operating costs of an outpatient clinic should be of interest to any practicing physician, both dermatologists and nondermatologists.
Antiracism in the catalog: An analysis of records

As people seek to learn more about race, bookstores have begun selling out of books on antiracism. These titles are, of course, also available in libraries, but can be difficult to locate in the catalog. Patrons will be able to find them through known title searches, but the catalog should go beyond this. The first user task in the “Library Reference Model” is to find, defined as “to bring together information about one or more resources of interest by searching on any relevant criteria.” Ideally, a patron should be able to search terms such as racism or antiracism in the library’s catalog and find a comprehensive list of titles on the topic or start with a known title and find other, related works. However, catalog records often fall short due to lack of appropriate keywords or subject headings. When a patron is ready to move beyond recommended reading lists and discover new books, will the library catalog aid in discovery?
Native defects in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi 2 Te 4

Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we visualized the native defects in antiferromagnetic topological insulator ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$. Two native defects, ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{Bi}}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{\mathrm{Te}}$ antisites, can be well resolved in the topographic images. ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{Bi}}$ tend to suppress the density of states at the conduction band edge. Spectroscopy imaging reveals a localized peaklike local density of state at $\ensuremath{\sim}80$ meV below the Fermi energy. A careful inspection of topographic and spectroscopic images, combined with density functional theory calculation, suggests this results from ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{\mathrm{Mn}}$ antisites at Mn sites. The random distribution of ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{Bi}}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{\mathrm{Mn}}$ antisites results in spatial fluctuation of local density of states near the Fermi level in ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$.
Jay Fai and the anomaly of the “good” street vendor

Jay Fai has become perhaps one of the most famous street food vendors in Thailand. Her rise to international fame comes amidst large-scale restrictions on street vending enacted by the national and...
Enhancement of continuous flow cooling using hydrophobic surface treatment

Abstract This study examined the effect of hydrophobic-surface treatment of tubular heat exchangers on cooling of viscous foods, namely sweet potato puree, banana puree, and cheese sauce. For the foods tested, cooling efficiency was compared between two identical tube-in-tube stainless-steel heat exchangers either untreated or treated with a hydrophobic chemical coating, Aculon. The average overall heat transfer coefficient, U, was calculated and compared between the two heat exchangers. Cooling of banana puree was improved when using the Aculon-treated heat exchanger, revealing a U of 115 W/(m2·K) compared to 105 W/(m2·K) for the untreated heat exchanger. Cheese sauce cooling was influenced the most, with a U value of 187 W/(m2·K) for the Aculon-treated heat exchanger, compared to 133 W/(m2·K) for the untreated case. Finally, Aculon-treatment showed no difference in the cooling of sweet potato puree, with U of 193 W/(m2·K) and 195 W/(m2·K) for the untreated and the Aculon-treated heat exchangers, respectively.
Future fire-driven landscape changes along a southwestern US elevation gradient

Over the twenty-first century, the combined effects of increased fire activity and climate change are expected to alter forest composition and structure in many ecosystems by changing postfire successional trajectories and recovery. Southwestern US mountain ecosystems contain a variety of vegetation communities organized along an elevation gradient that will respond uniquely to changes in climate and fire regime. Moreover, the twentieth-century fire exclusion has altered forest structure and fuel loads compared to their natural states (i.e., without fire suppression). Consequently, uncertainties persist about future vegetation shifts along the elevation gradient. In this study, we simulated future vegetation dynamics along an elevation gradient in the southwestern US comprising pinyon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, and mixed-conifer forests for the period 2000–2099, to quantify the effects of future climate conditions and projected wildfires on species productivity and distribution. While we expected to find larger changes in aboveground biomass, species diversity and species-specific abundance at low elevation due to warmer and drier conditions, the largest changes occurred at high elevation in mixed-conifer forests and were caused by wildfire. The largest increase in high-severity and large fires were recorded in this vegetation type, leading to high mortality of the dominant species, Picea engelmannii and Abies lasiocarpa, which are not adapted to fire. The decline of these two species reduced biomass productivity at high elevation. In ponderosa pine forests and pinyon-juniper woodlands, fewer vegetation changes occurred due to higher abundance of well-adapted species to fire and the lower fuel loads mitigating projected fire activity, respectively. Thus, future research should prioritize understanding of the processes involved in future vegetation shifts in mixed-conifer forests in order to mitigate both loss of diversity specific to high-elevation forests and the decrease in biomass productivity, and thus carbon storage capacity, of these ecosystems due to wildfires.
Simulating quasi-static crack propagation by coupled peridynamics least square minimization with finite element method

Abstract In this work, we present an innovative simulation method for quasi-static crack propagation in mixed-mode, within a new framework of coupled peridynamics least square minimization and finite element method (PDLSM–FEM). As the inertia effect is neglected for quasi-static problems, the governing equations for PDLSM–FEM can be solved implicitly without iterations. Displacements and stresses from PDLSM–FEM are used to compute the interaction integral, an extended version of the J -integral. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) are derived from the interaction integral and used in the maximum circumferential tensile stress failure criterion to predict the onset of crack propagation and the direction of propagation. New contributions in this work include the following: (1) developing a new framework for coupling PDLSM and FEM; (2) pioneering a quasi-static method for simulating crack propagation in peridynamics; (3) developing an element-based approach for selecting the interaction integral contour; and (4) proposing and implementing an innovative method for handling peridynamic bond breakage and crack growth. Quasi-static crack propagation simulation in this work provides a computationally efficient way to find the shape of the crack, and the current PDLSM–FEM model is straightforward and can be easily introduced into commercial finite element codes. Three numerical examples are carried out, and the results show that the proposed method evaluates SIFs accurately and captures crack growth as expected.
Extragalactic Interacting Binaries

The effort to discover extragalactic (EG) analogues of galactic interacting binaries is summarized. At present, not all types of close binaries are known outside the Milky Way. The older photographic surveys emphasized discovery of MS-or-brighter binaries and modern ones have concentrated on supernova searches. EG novae continue to be discovered accidentally. Very few light and velocity curves of non-degenerate binaries are presently available. With modern detecting capability most recognized limitations can be overcome technologically but telescope time will probably continue to limit knowledge for the foreseeable future. There is suggested a number of reasons for increasing concentration on EG binaries.